Marsquake discovery reveals planetary tectonics—decades-old data exposes colonial science’s blind spots in planetary exploration
Original framing: “Reexamined Viking 2 signal reveals possible marsquake from region active decades later” — Phys.org
Indigenous knowledge systems, such as Māori *mātāo* (celestial observation) or Navajo *Diné* astronomy, treat planetary phenomena as relational and sacred, not extractive. These traditions often model long-term ecological relationships, where seismic activity is seen as a dialogue between land and cosmos—not just a dataset. The absence of such perspectives in Viking-era science reflects a colonial erasure of alternative epistemologies that could have enriched planetary seismology’s interpretive frameworks. For example, the Māori concept of *hāngai* (earthquakes) as messages from *Tāne Mahuta* offers a metaphor for planetary ‘agency’ that Western science ignores.
The Viking 2 Marsquake discovery is not just a scientific correction but a reckoning with colonial science’s blind spots: its rush to extract data without cultural or long-term context, its erasure of Indigenous and marginalized voices, and its treatment of planetary phenomena as passive objects rather than living systems.
The reanalysis reveals how Cold War geopolitics shaped planetary exploration—where ‘firsts’ mattered more than sustained observation—while Indigenous traditions like Māori *mātāo* or Navajo astronomy offer relational alternatives that could transform seismology into a tool for planetary stewardship. The trickster’s inversion exposes the absurdity of calling Viking’s data ‘ambiguous’ while ignoring decades of warnings from anti-colonial scientists and Indigenous knowledge-keepers. To move forward, planetary science must integrate decolonial instrumentation, long-term funding, artistic collaboration, and data sovereignty—turning Marsquakes from sensationalized events into a call for systemic change.