Encounters With Star People: “They Meant Us No Harm. Grandpa Called Them Our Ancestors”
Dr. Ardy Sixkiller Clarke, a Professor Emeritus at Montana State University who is Cherokee/Choctaw has been researching the Star People and collecting encounters between them and Native Indians for many years. In her book, “Encounters With Star People, Untold Stories of American Indians” she details many of these stories, and explains how her fascination with Star People came from stories told to her by her older relatives like her grandmother when she was a child.
Indigenous lore is filled with stores of supposed "Star People", so it's always fascinating to dive in to the lore that exists within various cultures, especially since the topic has gone completely mainstream.
Richard Wagamese, a well known Ojibway author and journalist from the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations in Northwestern Ontario, Canada once wrote,
“My people tell of Star People who came to us many generations ago. The Star people brought spiritual teachings and stories and maps of the cosmos and they offered these freely. They were kind, loving and set a great example. When they left us, my people say there was a loneliness like no other.
We've published multiple stories from Clarke's book before, you can access those here if interested.
In this particular story, Clarke spoke to a man connected through a mutual friend, on the Navajo Indian Reservation, named Darren. Clarke spoke to his aunt, who was the one who told her of his extraterrestrial experience.
"I am not the first in my family to see the Sky Gods. My grandfather told me that one time a spacecraft landed over in New Mexico and some Indians hid an alien.”
Said Darren.
He said it happened “Back in the 40s. It was about the same time as Roswell.”
"My grandfather said that he and some of his friends came upon the alien wandering in the desert. They realized he was one of the Sky Gods and they hid him from the government soldiers. He died though and they buried him.
I saw an alien once. He came to my Grandfather’s hogan. When I saw him, I was frightened, but I didn’t know he was an alien at the time. He was a stranger. I was afraid of all strangers. So I ran inside and told my grandfather that there was a man outside. My grandfather turned off the burner on his hot plate and walked outside. I couldn’t hear, but I’m sure they were talking. Then my Grandfather came inside and told me to come with him. I walked outside and the alien was leaning against the wall and looked at a small metal object. I reached for my granddad’s hand, but he told me not to be afraid. He said everything was all right.
He was tall. He was dark. Dark skin and dark eyes. I never saw his hair. His clothes were brown and form fitting. He had a strange pair of boots. The pants were stuffed inside. The boots had pointed toes. They were the same color as the suit. I had never seen clothes like that. Gloves covered his hands and there was some kind of a covering over his head like a hood of some sort, but it was really tight like elastic.
He communicated with my grandfather. We walked off into the canyon with him. My grandfather stopped a few times and checked foot-prints. He was backtracking. They led to a large craft on the other side of the ridge."
Clarke asked, “Are you telling me the alien was lost?”
"That’s what my grandfather told me. He was part of a small exploring party. They had separated and he had gone up one canyon and the others went in other directions. He had some equipment with him that was supposed to get him back to the craft, but it quit working. He came to our hogan looking for help. My grandfather and I took him back to his craft.
My grandfather and I talked about it often. After that, when my grandfather told stories he would begin with ‘it happened before the Star Man or after the Star Man.’ My grandfather said that when he was a boy there were many stories about Star People, but that this was only the second time he had ever seen one.
He mostly talked about how they were friendly and meant us no harm. Grandpa called them our ancestors. He said that they had visited Earth from the beginning of time. They come to remind us to keep everything in harmony. He called them seed layers."
By seed layers, Darren meant, “You know. They brought seeds to Earth to see if they would grow and then come back to check on them.” Darren believed his grandfather meant plants, animals and humans. He was told by his grandfather that “they brought animals.”
Clarke then asks, “Did you go near the spacecraft?” Darren replied. ” I wanted to, but my grandfather warned me away. He said I should not touch it.
"It was round. Silver, but dull silver. There were no windows. Only a door and when it closed, you could not see where the door had been."
Clark asks, “When your grandfather led the star man back to the craft, did the other beings see you?
"Yes. They came out and greeted their friend. I watched as he turned to my grandfather as though he were introducing him. The other Star Men bowed and for a moment they stood there and talked with him, but I could not hear. When they boarded the craft, my grandfather told me we must move to a safe distance. Then we watched as the craft moved upward. It did not even stir up the dust. That was the most amazing thing to me. When the wind blows there there is always dust, but when the craft lifted off the ground, there was no dust. For some reason, I understood that there was nothing normal about this situation. I was afraid of strangers anyway, but these strangers were not like the people I saw in town. They were different. I held my grandfather’s hand all the way home. Somehow it felt safer."
Darren goes on to describe that the Star Man appeared two more times when he was much older. The final time when his grandfather was in his 80s, sick and unwell in bed.
"It was late at night when the Star Man appeared suddenly without warning. He walked over to my grandfather’s bed and kelt over him. After a moment or two, he walked out."
Clarke asked, “What did your grandfather say about the meeting?”
Darren replied, “Only that the Star Man came to say they were waiting for him. Three days later, my granddad died at the clinic in town. Just hours before he passed, he told me that they would be coming for him.
This was the last meeting, during the second meeting grandfather gave the Star Man a pouch with turquoise stones inside, a gift that pleased the Star Man.
Two years after his grandfather’s death, Clarke stopped off at Darren’s mother’s house. Darren invited her to go outside to his workshop.
"I go out to Grandfather’s place and work in the summers. In the winter, I work here when I am not traveling with art shows."
Clarke interrupted, “Have you ever seen the Star Man again?”
"No, but I know he still comes here,” he replied as he unlocked the work shed…I was hoping you would come see me again. I have something for you, but first, I have to tell you what happened.
Last summer, I spent about a month out at the home place. My sister was getting married and everything was chaotic around here. The first thing I noticed when I arrived at the hogan was a bag in the doorway of the little workshop I had set up for myself years ago. It was my grandfather’s pouch."
It was the one his grandfather gave to the Star Man.
"I opened it and the turquoise stones fell out. They were the ones Grandfather had given the Star Man. For some reason, he returned them. I think it was my grandfather’s way of letting me know that everything was okay with him. I have no other explanation."