Relational Accountability: Stories of Food Insecurity Told by Two-Spirit and Queer Indigenous People Living on Coast Salish Territory (or Vancouver)

A core component of a Two(Spirit)-Eyed Seeing approach – a theoretical orientation that can be widely applied to public health work – is the active and ongoing process of relational and accountable knowledge making between Indigenous and settler public health practitioners. A Two(Spirit)-Eyed Seeing approach breathes life into the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation 94 Calls to Action through research, or what is called “reconcile(a)ction,” or to “work in a good way.”

In this talk, Harlan Pruden and Dahdaleh research fellow Ryan Stillwagon discuss the evolution of their relationship as Indigenous and settler scholars working together at the nexus of reconciliation and public health research. We describe a recent mixed-method case-study on food insecurity among 14 Two-Spirit and Indigenous people living on Coast Salish territory (or Vancouver) conducted by Stillwagon, with Pruden’s mentorship. We offer reflections on how a Two(Spirit)-Eyed Seeing approach continues to guide this work, other collaborations, and invite conversations from healthcare practitioners on how they might implement this approach in their work.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe what a Two(Spirit)-Eyed Seeing approach is within public health work
2. Demonstrate the application of a Two(Spirit)-Eyed Seeing approach in action through work on Two-Spirit and Indigenous queer food insecurity
3. Promote and foster a community of practice at the BCCDC around Two(Spirit)-Eyed Seeing

See the full presentation below, or natively hosted here.

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