Post 1: 2 Worlds, 2 Legs, and Moving Forward

I have recently been introduced to the pharse, walking on two legs, although it would seem I've been doing so my whole life. Walking on two legs is a term that represents combining Indigenous ways of knowing and being with Western knowledge and ways of living. Growing up with an Indigenous mother and non-Indigenous father, I experienced the phenomenon of experiencing both worlds and the feeling of not fitting in entirely with either. As an adult, I was able to appreciate the experience and value the gifts and gifts that each perspective has brought to my life.

In a public school system, I have experienced as a student, a parent, and as an educator the effects of a colonized classroom and public chool system. I am also the daughter, niece, and cousin of residential school survivors.

As an educator, I feel the responsibility and motivation to improve the school experience for all students--and for students who are struggling in particular. I recognize the privileges I have had the opportunity to benefit from: growing up in a healthy, rural setting, academic skills came easily to me, always having support from my large family and community, and my lighter skin resulted in less discrimination than experienced by close family members. It is important to me to give back to my Indigenous community in return for all that it has brought to me.

Recent connections to a local organization, Qwelmínte Secwépemc, have inspired me to explore this idea in more depth. It is an organization that includes representation from eight Secwépemc communities and works to collect and share Indigenous knowledge and teachings to support reconciliation and decision making with the British Columbia government. They refer to walking on 2 legs as a guiding framework to their intentions and actions.

Ron E. Ignace and Maryanne B. Ignace are two Secwepemc leaders, scholars, and researchers who describe the concept of walking on two legs: "As we walk on two legs, we face the dual task of reconstructing and practicing our IK [Indigenous Knowledge], while undoing the harm done by ongoing colonial practice and exploitation. As we do this, ethical and reciprocal western science that advances Indigenous stewardship and restoration can be our ally" (Dickson-Hoyle, et al, 2022, p. 4).

This concept can also be referred to as two-eyed seeing, which originated with the Mi'kmaq people of Atlantic Canada. Two-eyed seeing involves using one eye to see from the Indigenous perspective and one from a Western perspective and utilize the strength from both (Hatcher, et al, 2009). Blake Angeconeb and Buffy Sainte-Marie describe in this short clip the idea that if you are only paddling on one side of the canoe, you will go in circles. Stepping forward on only one foot will do the same. It is my intention to explore further how using an Indigenous perspective can support students experiencing difficulties in the public school environment.

References

Dickson‐Hoyle, S., Ignace, R. E., Ignace, M. B., Hagerman, S. M., Daniels, L. D., & Copes‐Gerbitz, K. (2022). Walking on two legs: a pathway of Indigenous restoration and reconciliation in fire‐adapted landscapes. Restoration Ecology, 30(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13566

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund. (October 21, 2021). Paddling on Both Sides by Blake Angeconeb & Buffy Sainte Marie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avY9_q4JAdE.

Hatcher, Annamarie, Cheryl Bartlett, Albert Marshall, and Murdena Marshall. (2009). Two-Eyed Seeing in the Classroom Environment: Concepts, Approaches, and Challenges. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education.  9(3), 141–153.

Qwelmínte Secwépemc. (2023, July 10, 2023). https://www.qwelminte.ca/about-us.