Indigenous Two-Eyed Seeing: Fisheries Research & Management
TL;DR: Integrating Indigenous knowledge systems with Western science dramatically improves fisheries management and ecological outcomes.
- Two-Eyed Seeing blends Indigenous and Western knowledge for mutual benefit.
- It emphasizes acting on combined knowledge, not just integrating it.
- Case studies show improved salmon management and habitat restoration.
- Co-development and participatory mapping lead to better policy.
- Combined ecological data and traditional knowledge predict climate impacts.
Why it matters: This framework offers a powerful approach to resource management, fostering sustainability and empowering local communities by valuing diverse knowledge systems equally.
Do this next: Explore opportunities to co-develop research questions with Indigenous communities in your local resource management projects.
Recommended for: Resource managers, policymakers, and researchers seeking to implement inclusive and effective environmental governance.
This article presents Two-Eyed Seeing (Etuaptmumk) as an actionable Indigenous framework to revolutionize fisheries research and management by fostering coexistence of Indigenous knowledges and mainstream science. Defined by Elder Dr. Albert Marshall, it involves 'learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing, and from the other eye with the strengths of mainstream knowledges and ways of knowing, and to use both these eyes together, for the benefit of all.' Unlike passive integration, it carries an explicit action imperative: knowledge transforms the holder, imposing a responsibility to act. The paper critiques knowledge dichotomies and draws global parallels to frameworks like Two-Eyed Seeing from other Indigenous traditions. It operationalizes the concept through three Canadian case studies in aquatic and fisheries contexts. First, co-developing research questions with Indigenous communities to address salmon management, blending oral histories with population modeling for sustainable harvest strategies. Second, knowledge documentation via participatory mapping, where Elders' place-based insights inform habitat restoration models, leading to policy recommendations for protected areas. Third, co-producing insights on climate impacts, combining ecological telemetry data with traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to predict fish migration shifts and adapt governance. Practical details include protocols for reciprocity (e.g., sharing data sovereignty with communities), capacity-building workshops training youth in both scientific and cultural methods, and multi-stakeholder forums for decision-making. Outcomes demonstrate enhanced resilience: improved stock assessments, culturally relevant policies, and empowered Indigenous stewardship. Challenges addressed include navigating institutional barriers through Two-Eyed governance structures. This practitioner-oriented guide equips fisheries managers with step-by-step methods—such as joint data validation workshops and braided reporting formats—to implement knowledge complementarity, yielding tangible benefits like reduced overfishing and restored ecosystems[5][7].