Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing)

Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing)
Name	Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing)
Native name	Etuaptmumk
Other names	Two-Eyed Seeing
Region	Mi'kmaq territories
Introduced	Early 21st century
Notable figures	Albert Marshall; Cheryl Bartlett

Contents

Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing) is a guiding Indigenous concept originating from the Mi'kmaq of Atlantic Canada that promotes the complementary use of Indigenous and Western ways of knowing. It has been invoked across initiatives involving University of British Columbia, Dalhousie University, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and international collaborations such as United Nations forums. Proponents link it to reconciliation processes with institutions including Royal Society, Canadian Museum of History, and Assembly of First Nations.

Origins and Etymology

The term was articulated by Mi'kmaq Elder Albert Marshall in collaboration with scholar Cheryl Bartlett and other members of communities in Eskasoni and Unama'ki; it draws on Mi'kmaq language and oral teachings used in Cape Breton Island ceremonies and community gatherings. Early mentions surfaced in grant proposals and presentations to bodies like Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and were popularized through conferences at Memorial University and workshops linked to Canada Research Chairs programs. The etymology reflects translation choices debated at meetings involving Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada representatives, Mi'kmaq Grand Council delegates, and scholars from McGill University and Queen's University.

Two‑Eyed Seeing frames concurrent epistemologies so practitioners can "see" with one eye the strengths of Indigenous knowledge exemplified by carriers such as Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and with the other eye the strengths of Western science as practiced at institutions like Harvard University, University of Toronto, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Core principles have been discussed at seminars hosted by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, World Health Organization, and symposia at Smithsonian Institution and include respect for protocols evident in documents from Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and frameworks used by International Union for Conservation of Nature. The approach has been integrated into pedagogical models in collaborations with Stanford University, Yale University, and University of Queensland.

Promoters include Albert Marshall, Cheryl Bartlett, Indigenous leaders from Mi'kmaq Grand Council, and academic allies at Cape Breton University and Saint Mary's University, and networks involving Indigenous Studies programs at University of Victoria and University of Saskatchewan. Funding and institutional uptake involved agencies like Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and philanthropic partners such as Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and foundations affiliated with Rockefeller Foundation-style networks. The concept spread through publications in journals associated with Nature, Science, and specialist outlets connected to Canadian Journal of Native Studies and was showcased at meetings of International Congress of Anthropology and policy briefings to Parliament of Canada committees.

Two‑Eyed Seeing has been applied in collaborative research projects between Dalhousie University researchers and Mi'kmaq communities on marine stewardship in Atlantic Canada and in cross-cultural curriculum development at University of New Brunswick and Memorial University. It appears in interdisciplinary programs linking laboratories at McMaster University and University of British Columbia with community-based monitoring initiatives tied to Parks Canada and regional bodies like Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Pedagogical adaptations have been trialed in courses at University of Toronto's faculties and in summer institutes involving Harvard Kennedy School and University of Melbourne partners, and have influenced accreditation discussions with bodies such as Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Policy uptake includes integration into research ethics frameworks promoted by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, pilot health programs in collaboration with First Nations Health Authority, and environmental management plans submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Two‑Eyed Seeing informed community health interventions evaluated in partnership with Health Canada and influenced conservation agreements negotiated with NOVA SCOTIA provincial departments and multinational conservation entities like Convention on Biological Diversity forums. Internationally, principles have been referenced in United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization workshops and in policy dialogues involving World Health Organization delegations.

Scholars and practitioners from institutions such as McGill University, University of British Columbia, and York University have debated risks of tokenism, appropriation, and epistemic inequity when collaborations involve actors like large research universities, funding bodies including Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Canadian Institutes of Health Research, or multinational NGOs. Critics from Indigenous organizations including Assembly of First Nations and commentators writing in outlets connected to The Globe and Mail and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation argue for stronger governance by Mi'kmaq Grand Council and community protocols. Debates have also unfolded at meetings of Royal Society of Canada, legal forums at Supreme Court of Canada-adjacent conferences, and academic panels at American Anthropological Association about how Two‑Eyed Seeing should shape intellectual property, data sovereignty, and research ethics overseen by institutions like Tri-Council agencies.

Category:Indigenous knowledge systems