Wolastoqey students learn ‘two-eyed seeing’ approach to marine conservation – CBC

May 23, 2023

Members and organizers want to see greater Indigenous representation in environmental fields

Summer Saulis spent a chilly recent morning observing seagull behaviour on a quiet Saint John boardwalk surrounded by a salt marsh.

Armed with binoculars and notepads, she and 16 others recorded the gulls’ behaviour, noting they were calm, fed and undisturbed.

The observations made at the Irving Nature Park were part of a field observation exercise on the last day of a two-week course that fuses marine ecology studies with Indigenous elder experience.

“I definitely want to know more about the world around me through my ancestors’ perspective and modern perspective,” Saulis said.

What Saulis described is called the “two-eyed seeing” approach, which aims to tackle environmental issues using the benefits of both perspectives.

New to her role as an environmental technician in Bilijk First Nation, formerly known as Kingsclear near Fredericton, Saulis wants to see her ancestors reflected in the field of environmental conservation.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/wolastoqi-graduate-marine-ecology-conservation-program-1.6848934