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A group of five stars that create the major constellation also known as Ursa Major. These stars appear to rotate around the North Star, also known as Polaris. For the Navajo, the Big Dipper and the North Star are a part of the same constellation known as the Whirling Male, as a reference to the fact that the Big Dipper revolves around the North Star.
"Diagram showing the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) and the North Star (Polaris)" by Jim Thomas is licensed under CC BY-SA.
Manuscripts
References
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N.d. Ursa Major.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/620003/Ursa-Major, accessed January 13,
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