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The digital world is brimming with information—but not all of it is accurate. With AI-generated content flooding our feeds and misinformation becoming more sophisticated, verifying facts has never been more crucial. Whether you're researching for work, keeping up with the news, or simply scrolling through social media, sharpening your fact-checking skills can help you separate truth from deception. Here’s how to sharpen your perception, enhance your awareness, and become a more informed consumer of information.  Generated with DALL·E. Five Key Strategies for Verifying Information1. Research the Author or Organization A source’s credibility matters. Before trusting information, investigate who is behind it:
2. Use Smart Search Techniques Finding reliable sources quickly depends on how you search. Here are a few techniques to refine your results:
3. Verify the Original Source Many articles cite secondhand sources—but are they trustworthy?
4. Consult Fact-Checking Websites Independent fact-checkers help cut through the noise. Some recommended resources include:
5. Pause and Reflect If a claim sparks an emotional reaction, that’s a red flag. Misinformation thrives on outrage and urgency. Before sharing or believing a story, take a step back and ask:
Beyond the Basics: Fact-Checking FrameworksThe SIFT Method: A Fast, Effective Approach Mike Caulfield’s SIFT method offers a quick way to assess information:
The P.R.O.V.E.N. Method: A Deeper Dive For more thorough evaluation, use the P.R.O.V.E.N. method:
Lateral Reading: Thinking Like a Fact-Checker Instead of staying on one page, open new tabs and check:
Final Thoughts: Build Your Information ResilienceAI-generated content isn’t going anywhere, and misinformation continues to evolve. Developing strong fact-checking habits keeps you informed and protects you from misleading claims. Next time you come across a viral story, a surprising statistic, or a claim that seems off, take a moment to verify before you share. The more we question, the better we can navigate today’s information landscape.  Generated with DALL·E. What’s Your Go-To Fact-Checking Method?Have a favourite strategy or a trusted source you rely on? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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On Thursday, March 27th, I headed to the Lockhart Planetarium at the University of Manitoba. The event, ‘Storytelling of the Stars’, led by Rockford McKay and Dr. Phil Ferguson, immediately brought to mind Wilfred Buck’s ‘Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories’, which I read last year. The evening was filled with connection and recognition—some stories familiar, some new, and many deepened by hearing them aloud beneath a simulated night sky. Just as I’ve gradually learned the names and positions of many IAU-standardized constellations, I’m now doing the same with Indigenous constellations. Repetition, each retelling, roots the stories deeper within. Turtle Island & Makinak: A Living CalendarIn many Indigenous traditions, North America is Turtle Island, where the turtle is more than symbolic. The constellation Cepheus represents Makinak—the turtle whose shell is a living calendar: thirteen plates for thirteen full moons, twenty-eight edge divisions for twenty-eight days between moons. Long before our modern calendar, the sky and turtle shell tracked time together. Many will recognize Cepheus as a house due to its brightest stars, but to Indigenous storytellers, Makinak’s shell tells a deeper tale of cosmic rhythm.  ‘Edwin Bighetty. Makinak: Cepheus’ from ‘Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories’ Atima Atchakosuk: The Dog Stars & Mista Muskwa: The Great Bear ‘Edwin Bighetty. Ahtimah Atchakosuk: Polaris & Little Dipper’ from ‘Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories’ The Big and Little Dippers share a corner of the sky and intertwined stories. At the event, we explored Atima Atchakosuk—the Dog Stars. Long ago, humans had no protectors, vulnerable to nightly dangers. Mikun (Wolf) sent two pups to guard us, and later Mischachakanis (Coyote) and Makisew (Fox) followed, sending more dogs. These dogs became our early warning system. The Little Dipper represents their leash, with Polaris as the tether—forever circling the celestial camp, alert and guarding.   Images from ‘Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories’ But danger also lurked above. Mista Muskwa—the Great Bear (Big Dipper)—embodies greed and imbalance. The bear demanded constant gifts, becoming violent if refused. Eventually, seven birds--Tepakoop Pinesisuk—were sent to restore harmony. They chased the bear until he fled to the sky, where the chase continues each autumn, the constellation “running" along the horizon. It’s a story of imbalance, of consequences, and of community coming together to restore harmony.  ‘Edwin Bighetty. Mista Muskwa: Big Dipper’ from ‘Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories’ These stories weave together, offering layered perspectives. The dogs are our guardians, while the bear reminds us of the dangers of greed—and the power of collective action. The event summarized these narratives; the book deepened them with details. Achakos Ininewuk: The Star PeopleOne of the most memorable teachings I heard that night and one that I recall often when looking up at the night sky is that we are Star People. Carl Sagan’s words, “we are made of star-stuff”, echoed in Indigenous wisdom. At creation, Misewa (everything that is) received a spark--Achak—from the Creator, animating all things. Thus, stones (Assiniuk) are alive, animate with spirit. Death becomes transformation, not termination. Our ancestors arrived via Achakos Iskwew (Star Woman), who descended through a hole in the sky marked by the Pleiades--Pakone Kisik—and chose to come to Aski (Earth). I look up at them now not just as a glittering cluster, but as a portal. A reminder of the indigenous arrival story.  ‘Edwin Bighetty. Atchakos Ahkoop: Pleiades’ from ‘Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories’ Kiwtin: The Going Home StarPolaris—the North Star—is called Kiwtin, the Going Home Star. Fixed in the sky, it guides those lost or returning home. The two bowl stars in the Big Dipper (Great Bear’s hind legs) consistently point toward it, an ancient navigational aid. Kiwtin is a foundational reference point for navigating the night sky. Orion & The Sweat Lodge: MatootisanOrion, known to many as the Hunter, carries another powerful Indigenous story. Orion is Mistapew, a giant spirit-being resembling a Sasquatch or Sa’be, embodying strength and honesty—one of the Seven Sacred Teachings. In ‘Tipiskawi Kisik’, the tale unfolds through Tikoom, whose seven uncles disappeared during a hunting trip, captured by a giant trading in spirits. Their spirits were placed in seven stones, foundational to the first sweat lodge--Matootisan. Each stone holds a sacred teaching, a fragment of spirit, and a tale passed down generations.  ‘Edwin Bighetty. Mistapew: Orion’ from ‘Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories’ Guided by the Seven TeachingsThroughout the evening the Seven Sacred Teachings emerged repeatedly:
I had first encountered these teachings while walking the Bimose Kinoomagewnan (Walk of Teachings) trail in Pukaskwa National Park. Seeing them mirrored in the sky makes them feel even more eternal. As above, so below. Seven Sacred Teachings: Respect, Truth, Wisdom, Honesty, Courage, Love & Humility Photos taken by me in July 2022 Final ReflectionsFrom ‘Storytelling of the Stars’ and revisiting ‘Tipiskawi Kisik’, I’m reminded that astronomy transcends charts and data. It is ancestral, emotional, and spiritual. Constellations are not mere configurations of light. They are maps of memory. Guardians of wisdom. Bridges between worlds. And as we lift our eyes to the sky, we are reminded: We are not separate from the stars. We are made of them. Sources:
Note: These stories are shared as I heard, read, and remembered them. Your understanding or stories might differ, or my interpretations might not fully match your own. I welcome corrections, perspectives, or stories via email or comments below.
This past weekend, something rare and quietly extraordinary unfolded in the skies above northeastern North America: a partial solar eclipse at sunrise — and with it, the eerie illusion of a ‘double sunrise’ or ‘devil’s horns’.  Generated with DALL·E. For those who were in just the right spot — places like eastern Maine, coastal New Brunswick, or the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec — the Sun didn’t rise as a single glowing disc. Instead, two crescent-shaped horns of sunlight crept above the horizon, side by side, separated by the shadow of the Moon. This fleeting illusion is called a ‘double sunrise’, and it’s the result of a rare alignment where a partial solar eclipse begins (or reaches its peak) at the exact moment the Sun is rising. So what’s actually happening?A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun but doesn’t cover it completely. Instead, it obscures only a portion of the Sun’s face. When this happens at sunrise, the Sun emerges with a large chunk ‘missing’. And in cases like March 29, 2025 — when the Moon covered 80–90% of the Sun in those regions — only the far edges of the Sun remained visible, appearing like two separate horns of light on the horizon. Why is it so rare?Because for this to happen:
Photos shared on social media captured the moment brilliantly. The first image below, taken by Fabrizio Melandri in Monticello, Maine, shows the textbook ‘devil’s horns’ silhouette — sharp, symmetrical, and surreal. The second set of images, taken by Colleen Logan on the Atlantic coast of Canada, shows the Sun’s eerie progression through cloud-fringed treetops.  ‘Horns of fire’ rising over Maine – captured by Fabrizio Melandri.  Images captured by Colleen Logan from the Atlantic coast of Canada. For more about how solar eclipses work — and where this one was visible — check out: If you missed it, don’t worry — part of the joy in these events is knowing how rare and serendipitous they are. And when the skies do offer up a gift like this, it reminds us to keep looking up. Clear skies, friends. |