STEAM and Two-Eyed Seeing

STEAM

STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. When we want to talk about the connections of STEM to social enterprise, humanities, arts, innovation, entrepreneurship and more, we put an 'A' into STEM to get STEAM. The A can reflect Arts, Architecture and Agriculture – all areas that Indigenous peoples have been innovators in for thousands of years.

Two-Eyed Seeing

Etuaptmumk is the Mi'kmaq word for Two-Eyed Seeing introduced by a Mi'kmaq Elder from Eskasoni First Nation, Albert Marshall. It refers to learning to see with one eye the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, and with the other eye the strengths of western knowledges and ways of knowing, and to learn to use both eyes together * to gain a clearer understanding of the world. A Two-Eyed Seeing approach is one way to integrate, and develop a greater understanding of, and appreciation for Indigenous worldviews in our classrooms. It is also a way to offer First Nations students more opportunities to succeed in the dominant culture without compromising their own culture. Two-Eyed Seeing in both directions will enable us to walk together.

*Two-Eyed Seeing Guiding Principle: http://www.integrativescience.ca/Principles/TwoEyedSeeing/ Listen to Elder Albert at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJcjf1nUckc This is a long video of a seminar, but be sure to stay until the end of the question period as well as his talk.

https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/docs/support/sila_video/tek.pdf. Adapted, by permission, from Sidney Stephens, Handbook for Culturally Responsive Science Curriculum (Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Science Consortium and Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, 2000)