STEAM and Two-Eyed Seeing

Etuaptmumk is the Mi'kmaq word for Two-Eyed Seeing introduced by a Mi'kmaq Elder from Eskasoni First Nation, Albert Marshall. It refers to learning to see with one eye the strengths of Indigenous Knowledge and Ways of Knowing, and with the other eye the strengths of western knowledges and ways of knowing, and to learn to use both eyes together * to gain a clearer understanding of the world. A Two-Eyed Seeing approach is one way to integrate, and develop a greater understanding of, and appreciation for Indigenous worldviews in our colonial-based classrooms. It is also a way to offer First Nations students more opportunities to succeed in the dominant culture without compromising their own culture. ​

 

*Two-Eyed Seeing Guiding Principle: http://www.integrativescience.ca/Principles/TwoEyedSeeing/  Listen to Elder Albert at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJcjf1nUckc  This is a long video of a seminar, but be sure to stay until the end of the question period as well as his talk.  

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Elder Albert speaks about Two-Eyed Seeing from his Indigenous perspective, but it is hard for him to explain to non-Indigenous audiences about what and how they must learn Two-Eyed Seeing.  For IndigeSTEAM, we all must learn how to learn and work in these two ways in order to make lasting changes for all of us.  Two-Eyed Seeing in both directions will enable us to walk together.

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There are a number of diagrams like the one below that start to delve into the difference and overlaps of Ways of Knowing and Western Science.  Here we are sharing this one with an ecology base as one of the better ones.  What we are discovering along our journey in supporting Indigenous Ways with STEM is that Two-Eyed Seeing is impacting other "traditional" school subjects too.  Besides our programs for Indigenous youth to learn more about Western Science (both as STEM and STEAM), we have a lot of work to do to get Western minds to also see and understand Traditional Ways of Knowing and Being.