I shared this resource as a reference in my research statement and thought I would also share it here. In this TEDx Talk, Rebecca Thomas speaks about Etuaptmumk or Two-Eyed Seeing (8:34min) and how it came to be and later puts it together in a spoken word poem (11:10min). Etuaptmumk is about having one eye focused on Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing and the other eye focused on Western knowledge and understanding and then bringing those eyes together so that all can benefit from this combined knowledge.
Rebecca Thomas identifies as being a Mi’kmaw First Nation person. She is a spoken word poet and is also the Coordinator of Aboriginal Student Services at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC). Rebecca shares how residential schools affected her own history and language and how she can share her voice of her culture with the public through education. In the information section below the TED TALK is a statement that she, “Believes that the arts and poetry can help people heal in ways beyond traditional therapies, “ and has stated, “Poetry can give a voice to the voiceless. Poetry can make a powerless person feel powerful. This is why I speak.”
TEDxNSCCWaterfront. Thomas, R. (2016, June 13). Etuaptmumk: Two-eyed seeing. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA9EwcFbVfg