Etuaptmumk: Cultural Foundations of Two-Eyed Seeing for Conducting L’nu Research in Mi'kma'ki

Abstract

Abstract

Etuaptmumk is the L'nuwey (Mi'kmaw) term for Two-Eyed Seeing, often described as integrating the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and Western perspectives for co-learning or inquiry. The paper frames Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing (E/TES) as the Indigenous eye or its source of strength for knowledge development. It explores the sources of L'nuwey knowledge and how it is acquired within a L'nuwey worldview, forming a foundation of knowledge as Etuaptmumk. It enables knowledge systems to collaborate by converging their perspectives through empirical inquiry. Literature indicates that E/TES is understood as a framework, approach, or concept that combines the strengths of Indigenous and Western viewpoints. Etuaptmumk functions as both a theoretical framework and a methodology, which should be employed as a whole in conducting Indigenous research. This paper analyses the source of L'nuwey knowledge concerning Two-Spirit research, which, according to our L'nuwey worldview, interconnects with our way of being, living, and knowing—concepts that are not necessarily categorized within Western philosophical foundations. Etuaptmumk serves as the foundation for researching Two-Spirit identity, gender, sexuality, and sex, ultimately contributing to the decolonization of sexuality and gender and supporting the preservation and revitalisation of L’nui’suti (our language).