Nel Wieman and Unjali Malhotra call for a “two eyed seeing” approach to healthcare, informed by both Indigenous and biomedical knowledge
In Canada, genocidal policies and systems have devastated Indigenous peoples’ determinants of health.1 For example, as a consequence of the Indian Reserve System many Indigenous peoples live in isolated areas with limited or no access to healthcare, education, or employment opportunities.2 Furthermore, the colonial legacy of anti-Indigenous racism is prevalent across Canada, including its healthcare systems, so many Indigenous people fear accessing healthcare services.34
One way to make healthcare more equitable and effective for Indigenous peoples is to incorporate their knowledge, beliefs, values, practices, medicines, and models of health and healing alongside those of western medicine in delivering healthcare. Known as “two eyed seeing,” this approach to healthcare sees from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and ways o