Project 57 Week 50: Two-Eyed Seeing

Two-Eyed Seeing or Etuaptmumk, the Mi’kmaq word for “the gift of multiple perspectives”, is a guiding principle developed by Mi'kmaq Elder Albert Marshall of the Eskasoni First Nation in 2004. It refers to “learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing and from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing and to using both of these eyes together” (Bartlett, Marshall, & Marshall, 2012, p. 335). Two-Eyed Seeing encourages thoughtful integration of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems to gain a more holistic understanding of the world. Two-Eyed Seeing neither merges two knowledge systems into one nor does it paste bits of Indigenous knowledge onto Western (Iwama, et al, 2009, p. 5). It recognizes the strengths of both Western and Mi’kmaq knowledges, acknowledging the value of multiple perspectives. 

Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall was inspired by the metaphor of diverse species of "Trees Holding Hands," which symbolize the interconnectedness and the co-existence of knowledge systems, and the importance of working together. Two-Eyed Seeing promotes co-learning through respectful dialogue for integration of diverse perspectives to achieve better outcomes. It is an essential framework for advancing Reconciliation. The concept intentionally and respectfully brings together multiple ways of knowing promoting mutual respect and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.  

Two-Eyed Seeing is an "Indigenist pedagogy, research, practice and way of living that incorporates Western and Indigenous knowledges” (Iwama et al., 2009, p. 3). Designed as an Integrative Science research program, Two-Eyed Seeing was introduced to the academic community by M’ikmaq Elders Albert and Murdena Marshall and Dr. Cheryl Bartlett, a non-Indigenous professor of biology, in Unama’ki (Cape Breton), Nova Scotia.  Since then, Two-Eyed Seeing has been applied in a variety of disciplines, including research, education, healthcare, environmental management, and policymaking, to foster collaboration and create more inclusive and effective approaches. 

See also: Week 43: Indigenous Pedagogies

To learn more about Two-Eyed Seeing, consider the following resources:  

• Two-Eyed Seeing, Institute for Integrative Science and Health
• The Best of Both Worlds, The EdCan Network
• Two-Eyed Seeing, (2012). Cheryl Bartlett. YouTube, 8 minutes and 44 seconds. 

The Decolonizing the Library Working Group invites everyone to learn alongside us with Project 57. This project is a response to the TRC Call to Action 57, which calls on "federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to provide education to public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples." 

For more information visit Indigenous Initiatives.