Integrative Science and Two-Eyed Seeing: Enriching the Discussion Framework for Healthy Communities

Abstract

The inspiration for the authors draws upon a dream long held by co-author Murdena Marshall (and undoubtedly shared with many other Aboriginal Elders): namely, that one day the educational mainstream will recognize the Indigenous sciences alongside the Western sciences (Bartlett 2011). Our work is grounded in efforts to do exactly that at the post-secondary level within an initiative called "Integrative Science" guided by "Two-Eyed Seeing" even as we acknowledge the "cultural mismatch" that CCL (2007) identified as a major barrier in science education for Aboriginal students and the "irreconcilable beliefs" that Winder (2005) identified as a general challenge for integrative research. We realize that good intentions towards having different cultural knowledges and ways of knowing work together is only one piece, albeit essential, within the exceedingly challenging process of actually doing so, yet we believe that the world's diverse cultures contain rich insights and approaches that can help address complex issues in today's world, if appropriately and respectfully recognized, honoured, and harnessed. We emphasize developing shared abilities to respectfully work with our different epistemologies and ontologies, see with the strengths or the best in our different worldviews (i.e. employ Two-Eyed Seeing), find common ground in innovative and meaningful ways, use visuals to complement and extend our word-based concepts, and engage other approaches that enable newer (to the academy) forms of research inquiry and community participation (while continuing to value the more familiar, conventional methodologies).