Muiwatmnej Etuaptmumk - Honouring Two-eyed Seeing

The Collaborative Environmental Planning Initiative (CEPI) held a three day conference in the Membertou Convention Centre from November 13-15. The main title was Honouring Two-eyed Seeing with the sub-title that focused on Turning Vision Into Action. Approximately 500 people attended in person and some had to be turned away because there was just no more room.

The theme for day one was Welcoming All Our Relations; for day two was Sharing and Weaving Knowledge and for day three was Honouring the Wisdom.

Etuaptmumk/Two-eyed Seeing refers to "learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing and from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing, and to using both of these eyes together." - Dr. Albert Marshall.

The province of Nova Scotia has officially recognized the importance of Etuaptmumk/Two-eyed Seeing as it is embedded in the work of Treaty Education and is included as a core concept to promote and support climate change education and sustainability in the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act.

After the opening ceremonies with Jeff Ward as the EMCEE and the Sons of Membertou, Master of Ceremonies, Dan Christmas let us know there were 28 ‘wisdom circles’ that were led by experts in their field and offered over the three days. These ‘wisdom circles’ were designed to take deep dives into Two-eyed Seeing whether the topic was story-telling, treaty epistemology, outdoor education, Indigenous Tourism ReconciliAction, forestry, sustainable fisheries, listening to the youth in four languages, treaty education, or re-learning from nature.

There was always a constant buzz wherever there were gatherings throughout the three days because there were so many participants talking about their ‘aha’ moments. One of those moments for me was when chemistry professor Dr. Mathias Bierenstiel from CBU described Maskwio’mi:  A Re-discovered Mi’kmaw Medicine that comes from birch trees.

The pinnacle of the conference was when we were addressed by one of Canada’s most honoured and revered scientists/authors/environmentalists. You could have heard a pin drop when special guest, Dr. David Suzuki appeared on two huge screens that made him larger than life. He then virtually delivered Earth’s Message: Insights from David Suzuki to an audience that was captured by his words of wisdom.

Thank you to SO many people who made this conference possible. Without a doubt, this was the most welcoming, meaningful, insightful, well-run conference I have ever attended. Wela’ lioq.

By Paul Strome