Reflecting on the use of Etuaptmumk /Two-Eyed seeing in a study examining hospital-based Indigenous wellness services in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Abstract

Etuaptmumk /Two-Eyed Seeing (E/TES) is a Mi’kmaw guiding principle that emphasises the importance of bringing together the strengths of Indigenous knowledges and Western knowledges to improve the world for future generations. Since its introduction to the academic community, E/TES has been taken up more frequently in Indigenous health research. However, as it is increasingly used, Elders and scholars have affirmed that it is at risk of being watered down or tokenised. This article reports on how E/TES was used in a community-engaged research study that examined hospital-based Indigenous wellness services in the Northwest Territories, Canada. As a living, relational, and spiritual principle, E/TES was used in the study in three interrelated ways. E/TES: (1) guided the study ontologically, shaping the research team’s conceptualisation of knowledge and knowledge generation; (2) informed the research team’s approach to relationship-building; and (3) guided reflexivity amongst team members. By reporting on how E/TES was used in the study, and critically reflecting on the strengths and challenges of the approach, this article seeks to contribute to growing scholarship about how E/TES is characterised and taken up in Indigenous health research.