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Great Chief Star
Throughout the centuries, many peoples have created myths about Polaris. One Native American group referred to Polaris as "The-Star-That-Does-Not-Walk-Around." Another Native American group, the Pawnee, thought of Polaris as the "Great Chief Star of the Sky." Because it never moved, Polaris represented stability, leadership, and control over daily life. For the Pawnee, the "Great Chief Star of the Sky" rules over his people and provides guidance to Pawnee chiefs on how to be better leaders.
OLOGY CARD 079
Series: Place
Polaris
To find north, find Polaris. Earth rotates on its axis, which points directly at Polaris. From Earth, Polaris is the only star, the position of which never seems to change. Earth's axis doesn't point directly at any bright star in the Southern Hemisphere—that's why there's no "South Star."
Image credits: main image, courtesy NASA.