Two-Eyed Seeing: Bridging Knowledge for Research
By Katen Kelly
In Indigenous ways of knowing, balance is key. Our ancestors understood that to live well, we must walk in harmony with the world around us—spiritually, physically, and intellectually. This understanding extends to how we approach knowledge itself. One of the most powerful frameworks guiding Indigenous research today is Two-Eyed Seeing (Etuaptmumk), a concept first introduced by Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall [1]. Two-Eyed Seeing is about balance—learning to see through both Indigenous and Western perspectives and using the strengths of both to guide our understanding of the world around us.
For me, this framework is more than a methodology; it is a way of reclaiming space in academia while honouring the knowledge systems of my people. It is a reminder that Western science does not hold all the answers and that Indigenous ways of knowing have always been valid. Research, especially in Indigenous communities, cannot rely on a single way of seeing—it must bring together multiple perspectives to truly reflect the complexity of our realities. Native scholar Greg Cajete states that we only understand something once we understand it with all four aspects of our being: mind, body, emotion, and spirit [2].
What is Two-Eyed Seeing?
Two-Eyed Seeing is the ability to view the world through two different knowledge systems—one eye looking through the lens of Indigenous ways of knowing, and the other through Western science. It is not about blending these perspectives into one but rather about valuing both, allowing them to work alongside one another in a way that respects their distinct strengths.
Indigenous knowledge is rooted in relationships—with the land, with community, with our ancestors. It is holistic, passed down through generations, and deeply tied to place and emotional experience. Western science, on the other hand, is often reductionist, focusing on breaking things down into measurable parts. While Western approaches often seek proof through data and controlled experiments, Indigenous ways of knowing recognize truths that cannot always be quantified—truths found in lived experience, oral histories, and spiritual understandings.
Neither system is inherently better than the other, but when used together, they can create a richer, more complete understanding of the world. Two-Eyed Seeing encourages us to recognize the value of both perspectives rather than forcing one to fit within the framework of the other.
Artist: Emily Kewageshig
Why is Two-Eyed Seeing Important in Indigenous Research?
For too long, research in Indigenous communities has been extractive. Western academics have entered our communities, taken knowledge, and left—often without giving anything back. They have dismissed Indigenous ways of knowing as unscientific, failing to recognize the depth and validity of our knowledge systems. This has led to policies, healthcare systems, and educational models that do not serve Indigenous people because they were not built with us in mind.
Two-Eyed Seeing challenges this by ensuring that Indigenous voices are not only included but valued. It allows us to conduct research in a way that is respectful, ethical, and rooted in community priorities. Instead of imposing Western frameworks onto Indigenous issues, it asks: How can we approach this problem in a way that respects both knowledge systems? How can we use Western science to support Indigenous knowledge rather than erase it?
Applying Two-Eyed Seeing in Research
Using a Two-Eyed Seeing approach in research means starting from a place of respect. It means recognizing that Indigenous communities are not just subjects of research—they are knowledge holders, decision-makers, and active participants in the research process. This approach is about co-learning, where both Indigenous and Western perspectives inform each other rather than one being prioritized over the other.
In my own research on Access to Culturally Appropriate Dementia Care for Indigenous People in BC, Two-Eyed Seeing is essential. Western medicine provides valuable tools for diagnosis and treatment, but it often fails to address the spiritual and cultural needs of Indigenous patients. Indigenous understandings of health and wellness are holistic, acknowledging the role of community, ceremony, and connection to the land in healing. By using Two-Eyed Seeing, I can draw on the strengths of both systems—Western diagnostic tools and Indigenous healing practices—to create research that is both culturally grounded and scientifically rigorous.
In practice, this might look like:
Collaborating with Elders and Knowledge Keepers to ensure that research reflects Indigenous perspectives rather than imposing Western interpretations.
Using Indigenous methodologies, such as storytelling and sharing circles, alongside Western qualitative and quantitative methods.
Ensuring research benefits the community, rather than just academic institutions, by prioritizing Indigenous leadership and ownership over the knowledge being gathered.
Moving Forward with Two-Eyed Seeing
Two-Eyed Seeing is not just a research framework—it is a pathway toward decolonization. It challenges the historical dominance of Western ways of knowing and creates space for Indigenous knowledge systems to thrive. It reminds us that Indigenous knowledge is not something of the past; it is living, evolving, and just as relevant today. For Indigenous researchers such as myself, embracing Two-Eyed Seeing means reclaiming the right to define how knowledge is created and shared. It means refusing to choose between two worlds and instead recognizing that we can walk within both. Two-Eyed Seeing allows me to navigate academia and research while holding onto my own ways, ensuring that Indigenous knowledge is not just respected, but is also central to the work I do.
Because at the end of the day, our knowledge has always been here. It is time the world starts seeing it.
References
Cajete, G. (1994). Look to the Mountain: An Ecology of Indigenous Education. Kivaki Press.
Peltier, C. (2018). An Application of Two-Eyed Seeing: Indigenous Research Methods With Participatory Action Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406918812346