Alya Govorchin, Ashley Simpson, Amiti Mehta, Tyra Spence-McKay, Mel Bazil, Samantha Dancing Water Pranteau, Alexa Norton, Brittany Barker, Krista Stelkia, Courtney Defriend

Two-Eyed Seeing in Knowledge Synthesis: Weaving together Western scoping review methods with Indigenous storytelling to explore Indigenous approaches to harm reduction

Introduction

Two-eyed seeing in knowledge synthesis: weaving together western scoping review methods with indigenous storytelling to explore indigenous approaches to harm reduction. This article applies Two-Eyed Seeing, weaving Western scoping review methods with Indigenous storytelling to explore harm reduction for First Nations communities in BC, guiding culturally relevant health policy.

Abstract

Using methodological approaches rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing and being can help to ensure that research findings are relevant and useful to Indigenous communities, while providing evidence for more responsive public health policy and practice. This article explores a practical application of a Two-Eyed Seeing approach in knowledge synthesis as part of Phase I of the First Nation Health Authority’s Indigenizing Harm Reduction Study. The Study aims to develop a First Nations harm reduction framework rooted in community knowledges in response to the disproportionate harms of the toxic drug emergency on First Nations people in British Columbia (BC). Our approach prioritized Indigenist research methods, centering relationality and storytelling in knowledge gathering, analyses, and validation activities, while weaving in a Western scoping review methodology. The literature review explored harm reduction among Indigenous communities globally. Conversational interviews and questionnaires gathered knowledge from individuals who identified as First Nations people who access harm reduction services or individuals who provide harm reduction services to First Nations people in BC. Weaving together these knowledge systems helped our team to develop a more wholistic understanding of existing harm reduction approaches and current needs of First Nations communities in BC, grounded in Indigenous values and lived experiences. This culturally relevant approach to knowledge synthesis contributes to the knowledge base on Indigenous research methodologies and presents a practical Two-Eyed Seeing framework for weaving together both academic and community-based evidence within healthcare contexts. We share this methodology as an offering for both Indigenous and settler scholars, care providers, and decision makers working in health to privilege Indigenous knowledges in developing evidence-informed policies and practices. 

Review

This paper, "Two-Eyed Seeing in Knowledge Synthesis: Weaving together Western scoping review methods with Indigenous storytelling to explore Indigenous approaches to harm reduction," presents a critically important and innovative methodological contribution to health research. Addressing the urgent crisis of the toxic drug emergency disproportionately affecting First Nations people in British Columbia, the authors outline a robust approach to knowledge synthesis that centers Indigenous ways of knowing and being. The core strength lies in its practical application of a Two-Eyed Seeing framework, moving beyond theoretical discussions to demonstrate how diverse knowledge systems can be ethically and productively integrated to generate culturally relevant and community-rooted insights. The methodology described is particularly compelling in its careful fusion of Indigenist research methods, such as prioritizing relationality and storytelling, with a Western scoping review. This dual approach allowed the team to explore harm reduction strategies among Indigenous communities globally through existing literature, while simultaneously gathering vital lived experiences and community knowledges via conversational interviews and questionnaires with First Nations individuals in BC. This weaving together of distinct epistemologies is crucial; it not only ensures the findings are directly relevant and useful to the First Nations communities they serve but also provides a more wholistic understanding of existing approaches and critical needs, which would likely be missed by a singular methodological lens. This makes the research highly responsive to the stated goal of developing a First Nations harm reduction framework. Ultimately, this article offers a significant contribution to both the field of Indigenous research methodologies and public health practice. By sharing their practical Two-Eyed Seeing framework, the authors provide a valuable "offering" for Indigenous and settler scholars, care providers, and decision-makers alike. The demonstrated success in privileging Indigenous knowledges alongside academic evidence within a healthcare context sets a powerful precedent for developing evidence-informed policies and practices that are genuinely equitable and effective. This culturally relevant approach to knowledge synthesis has the potential to reshape how health research is conducted and utilized, fostering more responsive, respectful, and impactful interventions within Indigenous communities and beyond.

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