---
title: "Two-Eyed Seeing"
chunk: 2/2
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-Eyed_Seeing"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:22:03.475324+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

In the Mi'kmaq language, Toqwa'tu'kl Kjijitaqnn (Integrative Science) evokes the idea of bringing knowledge together using the principles of Two-Eyed Seeing. The Two-Eyed Seeing approach is a method of education within Integrative Science that takes on a more holistic, multidisciplinary, and trans-cultural interpretation of the natural world and beyond. The advancement of Integrative Science may pose certain challenges, some of which include differences in interpretation among Indigenous and Western knowledge, differences in knowledge transfer, and available resources.
Philosophical differences among Western and Indigenous knowledge can lead to interpretation problems when attempting to understand the environment from both perspectives, for both the educators, researchers, and learners. Western-trained academics and researchers can unconsciously or consciously categorize it within classifications to understand the concept within Western science philosophies, missing the foundational make-up of Indigenous knowledge as fluid, adaptable and continuously evolving. Students may encounter differing responses to the decolonization of discussion and curricula, some of which have included frustration with peers who are not at the same level of comprehension. There can be an added pressure on Indigenous students who can be seen as experts on the subject and be called upon to share their 'expertise'. 
Indigenous knowledges can be seen as living and breathing, based on "gardening" knowledge with living knowledge-keepers, compared to knowledge transfer via books and papers, widely used in Western-based curricula. Knowledge gardening reflects the inclusion of community members, such as Elders and people who work the land, to transfer knowledge passed down from generations and using examples and issues that reflect the interests of the students, and the community in general.
A lack of resources in the classroom and research has led to challenges when implementing an integrative approach. For settler educators, there can be long-term investment of time and effort needed, if not already familiar, to fully understand and engage with the material and deliver an educational experience that fully embraces both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing. In Canada's Nunavut Territory, there is insufficient K-12 Inuit educators to teach Inuit-ways of knowing and understanding, therefore requiring non-Inuit and non-Indigenous educators to teach Inuit values in school, which can lead to a misrepresentation of the full extent of what is required to be taught due to possible unpreparedness.

== In practice ==
Since its introduction, TES has been recognized and applied in Canadian academic institutions, community research, government strategic plans and policies.
Some examples include the Aboriginal Children's Hurt & Healing (ACHH) Initiative. ACHH is an example of research conducted within a TES approach to gather and share Indigenous knowledge towards the goal of improving the health care experience and outcomes. ACHH is a partnership between Dr. Margot Latimer of Dalhousie University/IWK Health and L'nu Eskasoni First Nation Health Director, Sharon Rudderham. This initiative was kickstarted as a result of a very low percentage of admitted Indigenous children to pediatric care when this demographic actually experiences a very high rate of pain, compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. Through TES, findings have provided community-based evidence about pain occurrences in First Nation youth, facilitating the advocation of resources such as screening equipment and treatment processes. Additionally, an app was created to aid children express their pain and hurt to health care professionals. Through TES, early health care experiences of Indigenous youth were improved with the accessible distribution of health and wellness information and tools, that met the needs and requirements for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth.
A 2019 Reflection Paper prepared for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO proposed a "Two-Eyed" concept for guiding the development and application of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It suggested that seeing through one eye with the best of the Indigenous ways of knowing could be a model for balancing ethical concerns with technological priorities as seen through the eye of  Western science.
Other examples of the concept of TES being used include the Department of Environment in Nunavut, in which the department used TES to manage their Arctic lands, and led camp events for students, through the Department of Education, to integrate Inuit knowledge and Western science. Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission has also used TES when gathering and analyzing information related to the trauma of Indigenous peoples and cultures when forced to attend Residential Schools. The guiding framework has also been employed at the Canadian Institute of Health research – Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (CIHR-IAPH) and within the IAPH's 2014 strategic plan, highlighting its importance in Indigenous health research. The most recent strategic plan, CIHR strategic plan 2021–2031, outlines their commitment to continue to implement the integration of Indigenous ways of knowing within health research and decisions.

== References ==