04/02/2026
Jeremy Hansen is off to the moon, and he’s bringing a piece of Turtle Island with him.
Ahead of the Artemis II mission, the Canadian astronaut is carrying a mission patch designed by Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond, with guidance from Dave Courchene III (Sabe), Leader of the Turtle Lodge in Sagkeeng First Nation.
The patch reflects Hansen’s intent to carry Indigenous knowledge into space, rooted in teachings that have guided life on this land for generations.
The heptagonal design of the patch is anchored in the Seven Sacred Laws, ancestral teachings that shape how people live in relationship with each other and the Earth.
Each side represents a teaching carried by an animal: the buffalo (respect), eagle (love), bear (courage), the sasquatch (honesty), beaver (wisdom), wolf (humility), and turtle (truth).
Together, they form a system of balance, a way of walking through the world with responsibility, clarity, and purpose. Set against Guimond’s interpretation of the universe, the patch connects these teachings to the moon itself, long understood as a sacred relative tied to cycles, life, and time.
Artemis II marks the first crewed mission around the moon in over 50 years. This time, Indigenous knowledge is part of the journey.