September 16, 2005 Source: University College of Cape Breton:
http://www.capebretonu.ca/capebretonu_main/newsrel/NewsDetail.asp?NewsID=105 A Meeting of the Minds over Two Eyed Seeing The first Native American to walk in space heads up a diverse list of speakers on an unusual theme for a scientific conference to be held in Sydney, Nova Scotia from September 22nd through the 24th. Chickasaw astronaut John Herrington has thirty-eight hundred flight hours logged in thirty different aircraft, but will develop his keynote address through an Aboriginal Elders’ vision known as "Two Eyed Seeing`` and around the conference theme of the “Spirit of the East”. The concept of `Two Eyed Seeing’ belongs to Canadian Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall, and describes the balance of indigenous and western worldviews on science and technology and the integration of both for a holistic (and realistic) way to care for the natural environment. The Canadian Aboriginal Science and Technology Society (CASTS) conference is held every second year and attracts scientists, Elders, educators, and students by showcasing the work and ideas of Native presenters from across the nation. Speakers are well-known scientific researchers in the international Indigenous community and have been selected for their ability to adapt the two worldviews. Commander John Herrington, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, spent two weeks on board the National Aeronautics Space Agency (NASA) Space Shuttle Endeavour, carrying ceremonial items and eagle feathers with him into space. Speaking at the conference so he “can encourage Native youth to believe in themselves and follow their dreams”, the astronaut will also unveil the second phase of a project started at the opening of the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre in 2004. Hanging in the Atrium is a 12 foot dreamcatcher made by Mi’kmaq Artist Nick Huard, known internationally for his dreamcatchers. Huard’s huge dreamcatcher contains smaller dreamcatchers, each a gift from the children of the Membertou Elementary School to the people of Membertou First Nation. For the next seven years a new layer of the children’s dreamcatchers will be added - only this year- their efforts will be launched by a rocket scientist. Dr. Greg Cajete is Tewa, from New Mexico, an educator whose work is dedicated to honoring the foundations of indigenous knowledge in education. A scholar in ethnobotany, he is also extensively involved with art and its applications to education, designing culturally-responsive curricula based upon Native American understanding of the “nature of nature’. Dr. Ivar Mendez, born in La Paz, Bolivia is the Chair of the Brain Repair Centre at Dalhousie University. In 2002, Dr. Mendez and his team performed the world’s first long-distance robotic telementoring neurosurgery. Also an accomplished sculptor, Mendez says he draws on his creativity in his medical work and is finding that “art and medicine do not compete with each other. They are synergistic. To be able to innovate in science, you must be creative." Dr. Lillian Eva Dyck, a Cree from Gordon First Nation, is a neuropsychiatrist at the University of Saskatchewan. Her team of scientific researchers is looking for a drug that treats stroke, Alzheimer disease, schizophrenia and other illnesses believed to have the same underlying disease process. She’s also testing the theories of experts who think Native people’s metabolism may make them more predisposed to alcoholism. Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona, of the Cherokee Nation, has dedicated his life to blending the best of conventional medicine and Native American healing and is celebrated as a leader in the field of integrative medicine. The author of “Coyote Medicine: Lessons from Native American Healing” and a sequel, is passionate about replacing the reigning biomedical model with a new paradigm. Mi’kmaq Elder Murdena Marshall of Eskasoni First Nation is driven by a deep love of her language and culture, and has been instrumental in establishing the Integrative Science Program at Cape Breton University, created to provide a nationally unique degree program which incorporates both Western science and traditional First Nation science perspectives and knowledge. The program has graduated a legacy of scientific leaders in the First Nations community. Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall of Eskasoni First Nation has risen to become one of the most articulate witnesses of his culture’s scientific and philosophic perspective, and, is the visionary leading the “Two Eyed Seeing” worldview which is to be presented at the CASTS Conference 2005. Hereditary Mi’kmaq Chief Stephen Augustine of Big Cove First Nation is a Curator of Ethnology for Eastern Maritimes at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Accredited as an expert witness in various court cases, involving Aboriginal access to resources in the Maritimes, Augustine is recognized for his knowledge both of oral history and ethno-history, and of the treaties in the region. More than 25 Aboriginal Elders from First Nations across Canada will be participating in CASTS Conference 2005, adding valuable and culturally diverse viewpoints. With 340 registered participants, and 34 display booths, the conference is completely booked. CASTS Conference 2005 The Spirit of the East is to be hosted by Cape Breton University (CBU) in partnership with the Unama’ki (Oona - mah – gee) Institute of Natural Resources (UINR) and will be held in the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre, on the Esplanade (boardwalk), and at Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia. – 30 – MEDIA CONTACT: Lynda Kitchikeesic (613) 220-4950 Additional Media Contacts: Kelly Rose, Cape Breton University, Tel: (902) 563-1638; Cell (902) 578-0817 Irene Khattar, Cape Breton University, Tel: (902) 563-1896; Cell (902) 578-7904
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