Communities take the lead: exploring Indigenous health research practices through Two-Eyed Seeing & kinship

Abstract

Etuaptmumk or Two-Eyed Seeing (E/TES) is foundational in ensuring that Indigenous ways of knowing are respected, honoured, and acknowledged in health research practices with Indigenous Peoples of Canada. This paper will outline new knowledge gleaned from the Canadian Institute of Health Research and Chronic Pain Network funded Aboriginal Children's Hurt & Healing (ACHH) Initiative that embraces E/TES for respectful research. We share the ACHH exemplar to show how Indigenous community partners take the lead to address their health priorities by integrating cultural values of kinship and interconnectedness as essential components to enhance the process of community-led research. E/TES is conceptualised into eight essential considerations to know in conducting Indigenous health research shared from a L'nuwey (Mi'kmaw) perspective. L'nu knowledge underscores the importance of working from an Indigenous perspective or specifically from a L'nuwey perspective. L'nuwey perspectives are a strength of E/TES. The ACHH Initiative grew from one community and evolved into collective community knowledge about pain perspectives and the process of understanding communityled practices, health perspectives, and research protocols that can only be understood through the Two-Eyed Seeing approach.

Clinical Strategies to Develop Connections, Promote Health and Address Pain From the Perspectives of Indigenous Youth, Elders, and Clinicians

“…This study is an extension of the Canadian Institute of Health Research Chronic Pain Network (CPN) funded Aboriginal Children's Hurt and Healing (ACHH) Initiative, originating in Mi'kma'ki. This project, consistent with the original research conducted in Mi'kma'ki, is Indigenous community led, implemented with the knowledge interpreted and disseminated by community members with the process described in work by Sylliboy et al (23). The larger study explored the expression of pain through art as well as healthcare utilization data with Indigenous children and youth in First Nations communities in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island (1,4,10).…”

“…In keeping with the TES approach described by Sylliboy et al (23) and to determine if the study goals would benefit and fit with the community expectations, a pre-study community engagement session took place with ACHH researchers and two health care providers, two Elders, two youth, as well as the Aboriginal Health Centre's privacy officer and a Nurse Research Coordinator. This study employed a community based, participatory action research partnership with an Aboriginal Health Centre in Ontario and the ACHH Initiative research team following the Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP) principles (25).…”

Rethinking conceptions of body image in group fitness education, culture, and contexts: Recommendations for perspective transformation and innovations in instructional methods

“…"Two-Eyed Seeing" is a principle that was originally conceptualized for health research. Following this principle, Indigenous ways of knowing are honored and respected (Sylliboy et al, 2021).…”

Taking the Sexy Health Carnival across Turtle Island

“…Often, gatherings are opportunities to be with family and friends across multiple generations and to connect with a diversity of Nations. This collective experience can promote health and healing by reinforcing kinship roles within Indigenous communities (Beaufils, 2022; Sylliboy et al, 2021). There is a wide diversity of both size and purpose of gatherings within First Nation, Inuit (Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic region in Canada), and Métis (descendants of early-17th-century fur trade relationships between First Nations communities and European fur traders in Canada) communities, examples of this include the social and cultural celebration of a powwow, Inuit games, and Métis festivals (DesJarlait, 1997; Giroux, 2016; Hoefnagels, 2007; Puvirnituq Snow Festival, n.d.).…”