How is Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing characterized in Indigenous health research? A scoping review

Abstract

Our scoping review sought to consider how Etuaptmumk or Two-Eyed Seeing is described in Indigenous health research and to compare descriptions of Two-Eyed Seeing between original authors (Elders Albert and Murdena Marshall, and Dr. Cheryl Bartlett) and new authors. Using the JBI scoping review methodology and qualitative thematic coding, we identified seven categories describing the meaning of Two-Eyed Seeing from 80 articles: guide for life, responsibility for the greater good and future generations, co-learning journey, multiple or diverse perspectives, spirit, decolonization and self-determination, and humans being part of ecosystems. We discuss inconsistencies between the original and new authors, important observations across the thematic categories, and our reflections from the review process. We intend to contribute to a wider dialogue about how Two-Eyed Seeing is understood in Indigenous health research and to encourage thoughtful and rich descriptions of the guiding principle.

Science|Environment|Health, One Health, Planetary Health, Sustainability, and Education for Sustainable Development: How Do They Connect in Health Teaching?

“…The resulting cycle and its iterations do not represent a hermeneutic circle. As noted by Sellars (1963) and more recently by Roher et al (2021), finding one's way around the world requires the lifeworld image and the scientific image to be on a level playing field.…”

“…Two-eyed seeing, or the stereoscopic view, are metaphors that lie at the intersection of two important streams of thought in Western philosophy (e.g., Eseld, 2020) and Canadian Indigene sapience (Roher et al, 2021) that share the conviction that it needs "two eyes", a holistic one and a scientific one, to navigate the world. The view of the two eyes results in two complementary images, which we call the life-world image and the scientific image.…”

Two-Eyed Seeing: Seeking Indigenous Knowledge to strengthen climate change adaptation planning in public health

“…learning together (Roher et al, 2021). He describes Two-Eyed Seeing, as it is known in English, this way: I, you, and we need to learn to see from one eye with the best or the strengths in the Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing… and learn to see from the other eye with the best or the strengths in the mainstream (Western or Eurocentric) knowledges and ways of knowing… but most importantly, I, you, and we need to learn to see with both these eyes together, for the benefit of all.…”

“…Applying Two-Eyed Seeing and using a decolonised approach dictates that Indigenous knowledge needs to be given equal weight. When this happens, it brings the dif erent knowledge and ways of knowing together which then leads to a better understanding of the world (Roher et al, 2021).…”

Spirituality and Well-Being: Theory, Science, and the Nature Connection

“…The wisdom of indigenous peoples has also been emphasized by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) via focus on First Nations, Inuit, or Métis communities and their cultures, experiences, and knowledge systems. This inquiry has led to Etauptmumk , translated as “Two-Eyed Seeing” ( Roher et al 2021 ). This recent review distilled seven categories of meaning in Two-Eyed Seeing: (1) guide for life—i.e., a wholistic way of knowing, being, doing, and seeing that is mental, spiritual, physical and emotional; (2) responsibility for the greater good—i.e., calling for use of all capacities, gifts and actions to leave the world a better place; (3) co-learning journey—i.e., relationship building by having different peoples put their own knowledge and action forward for examination; (4) diverse perspectives—i.e., respecting and accepting diverse realities; (5) spirit—i.e., there is spirit in everything and essential for a complete person is interaction of body, mind, soul, and spirit with all aspects of nature; (6) decolonization—i.e., honoring indigenous perspectives in how knowledge is created, gathered, and used; (7) humans as part of ecosystems—i.e., human health requires balance and integrity between people and the global ecosystems that surround them.…”