Skip to main content
Log in

Many lenses for planetary health: seeding citizen engagement for sustainable futures visioning with new ways of seeing

  • Special Section on Moving on IPCC 1.5°C: Qualitative Research
  • Published:
Canadian Journal of Public Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

This pilot project sought to seed citizen engagement processes for sustainable futures visioning with ideas, perspectives, and processes informed by Indigenous ways of knowing.

Methods

Five circle dialogues were convened with students, faculty, and members of the public, in the spring of 2019, using Indigenous talking circle methodology and intentionally seeded with “disruptive” ideas to encourage reflexivity and open space for “out-of-the-box” thinking. These were complemented by a series of one-on-one dialogues with members of the pan-Canadian research team. Pre- and post-dialogue surveys, notes taken by participants, team members, and co-facilitators, as well as notes from one-on-one interviews, constituted the data drawn upon for this paper.

Results

Participants were overwhelmingly positive about their experience, noting they were able to go further and deeper in their thinking and listening, and that they valued the Indigenous talking circle methodology, even if they stopped short of claiming the experience had transformed their way of seeing the world. Key points raised in the dialogues included the need for a more relational worldview, the need to repair severed relations with the land and nature, the importance of Indigenous ways of knowing, the importance of community building, and the need to question the fundamental assumptions undergirding contemporary Western societies.

Conclusions

While caution must be exercised in drawing conclusions and extrapolating from this modest pilot project, our experience underscores the value of processes that intentionally catalyze critical reflexivity and openness to other ways of seeing, informed by Indigenous ways of knowing and talking circle methodology.

Résumé

Objectifs

Ce projet pilote visait à faire germer des idées, des opinions et des processus éclairés par les modes de savoir autochtones dans des processus de mobilisation citoyenne pour faire naître des scénarios d’avenir durables.

Méthode

Cinq cercles de dialogue ont été organisés avec des étudiants, des professeurs et des personnes du public, au printemps 2019, en faisant appel à la méthode autochtone des cercles de la parole et en semant délibérément des idées « perturbatrices » afin d’encourager la réflexivité et de sortir des sentiers battus. Les cercles ont été complétés par une série de dialogues individuels avec les membres de l’équipe de recherche pancanadienne. Les sondages pré- et post-dialogue, les notes prises par les participants, les membres de l’équipe et les coanimateurs, ainsi que les notes des entretiens individuels ont constitué la matière première du présent article.

Résultats

La très grande majorité des participants ont trouvé l’expérience positive : ils ont dit avoir pu aller plus loin et plus profond dans leur réflexion et leur écoute et avoir apprécié la méthode des cercles de la parole autochtones, sans toutefois aller jusqu’à dire que l’expérience avait transformé leur vision du monde. Les principaux points soulevés dans les dialogues ont été le besoin d’avoir une vision du monde plus relationnelle, le besoin de réparer les relations rompues avec la terre et la nature, l’importance des modes de savoir autochtones, l’importance de la solidarité sociale et le besoin de remettre en cause les hypothèses fondamentales qui soutiennent les sociétés occidentales contemporaines.

Conclusions

S’il faut faire preuve de prudence avant d’extrapoler et de tirer des conclusions d’un simple projet pilote, notre expérience souligne la valeur des processus qui induisent intentionnellement une réflexivité critique et une ouverture à d’autres façons de voir, éclairés par les modes de savoir autochtones et par la méthode des cercles de la parole.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Poland and Bowra are settlers of European origin, and Mashford-Pringle is an Indigenous woman of Algonquin heritage, and Associate Director of the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health at the University of Toronto.

  2. “In a good way” is an expression used by many Aboriginal communities to denote participation that honours tradition and spirit. Among the Anishinaabe people, this is embodied through the Seven Grandfathers Teachings of wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth (Flicker et al. 2015).

  3. “mainstream” in this context is the contemporary capitalistic/materialistic vantage point of individualism, consumerism, and humanity being superior to the natural world.

References

  • Axon, S. (2016). ‘The Good Life’: Engaging the public with community-based carbon reduction strategies. Environmental Science & Policy, 66, 82–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ball, J. (2004). As if Indigenous knowledge and communities mattered: Transformative education in First Nations communities in Canada. The American Indian Quarterly, 28(3&4), 454–479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartlett, C., Marshall, M., & Marshall, A. (2012). Two-Eyed Seeing and other lessons learned within a co-learning journey of bringing together indigenous and mainstream knowledges and ways of knowing. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 2(4), 331–340.

  • Bendell, J. (2018). Deep adaptation: A map for navigating climate tragedy. IFLAS Occasional Paper Two. http://lifeworth.com/deepadaptation.pdf.

  • Brisbois, B, Cohen, R, Cortinois, A, Poland, B, Elton, S, Maddox, R, Mychajluk, L, Viand, K. “Pedagogy for the Anthropocene: Land-based learning for socioecological transformation”. Poster presented at the Environmental Studies Association of Canada (ESAC) Annual Conference, Ryerson, Toronto, May 29–June 1, 2017.

  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broadhead, L.-A., & Howard, S. (2011). Deepening the debate over ‘sustainable science’: Indigenous perspectives as a guide on the journey. Sustainable Development, 19(5), 301–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browne, A. J., Smye, V. L., & Varcoe, C. (2005). The relevance of postcolonial theoretical perspectives to research in Aboriginal health. The Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 37(4), 16–37.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cajete, G. (2000). Native science: Natural laws of interdependence. Santa Fe, NM: Clear Light Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cranton, P. (2016). Understanding and promoting transformative learning: A guide for educators of adults (Third ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

  • Cutts, S. (2017). Happiness. [motion picture]. England.

  • Darder, A., Baltodano, M. P., & Torres, R. D. (Eds.). (2009). The critical pedagogy reader (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, L. (2010). Alliances: Re/envisioning Indigenous-non-Indigenous relationships. University of Toronto Press.

  • de Sousa Santos, B. (2008). Another knowledge is possible: Beyond northern epistemologies. London: Verso.

  • Dei, G. J. S. (2000). Rethinking the role of indigenous knowledges in the academy. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 4(2), 111–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dove, M. R. (2006). Indigenous people and environmental politics. Annual Review of Anthropology, 35, 191–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Downing, R., & Kowal, E. (2011). A postcolonial analysis of Indigenous cultural awareness training for health workers. Health Sociology Review, 20(1), 5–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenstein, C. (2013). The more beautiful world our hearts know is possible. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flicker, S., O’Campo, P., Monchalin, R., Thistle, J., Worthington, C., Masching, R., Guta, A., Pooyak, S., Whitebird, W., & Thomas, C. (2015). Research done in “A Good Way”: The importance of indigenous elder involvement in HIV community-based research. American Journal of Public Health, 105(6), 1149–1154. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302522.

  • Gaztambide-Fernandez, R. A. (2012). Decolonization and the pedagogy of solidarity. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1), 41–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Getty, G. (2010). The journey between Western and Indigenous research paradigms. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 21(1), 5–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, D. A. (2010). Nature, empire and paradox in environmental education. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 15, 9–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gruenewald, D. A. (2003). The best of both worlds: A critical pedagogy of place. Educational Research, 32(4), 3–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hancock, T., Spady, D. W., & Soskolne, C. L. (Eds.). (2015). Global change and public health: Addressing the ecological determinants of health - the report in brief. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Public Health Association https://www.cpha.ca/sites/default/files/assets/policy/edh-discussion_e.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatcher, A., Bartlett, C., Marshall, A., & Marshall, M. (2009). Two-eyed seeing in the classroom environment: Concepts, approaches, and challenges. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 9(3), 141–153.

  • Hathaway, M. (2016). Activating hope in the midst of crisis: Emotions, transformative learning, and “The Work That Reconnects”. Journal of Transformative Education, 1–19.

  • Lange, E. A. (2004). Transformative and restorative learning: A vital dialectic for sustainable societies. Adult Education Quarterly, 54(2), 121–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, K., & Gunnarsson-Ostling, U. (2009). Climate change scenarios and citizen-participation: Mitigation and adaptation perspectives in constructing sustainable futures. Habitat International, 33(3), 260–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lavallée, L. F. (2009). Practical application of an Indigenous research framework and two qualitative Indigenous research methods: Sharing circles and Anishnaabe symbol-based reflection. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 8(1), 21–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ledwith, M. (2001). Community work as critical pedagogy: Re-envisioning Freire and Gramsci. Community Development Journal, 36(3), 171–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Makoons Geniusz, W. (2009). Our knowledge is not primitive: Decolonizing botanical Anishinaabe teachings (1st ed.). Syracuse University Press.

  • Martin, D. H. (2012). Two-eyed seeing: A framework for understanding Indigenous and non-Indigenous approaches to Indigenous health research. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 44(2), 20–42.

  • Mashford-Pringle, A., & Stewart, S. L. (2019). Akiikaa (it is the land): Exploring land-based experiences with university students in Ontario. Global Health Promotion, 26(Suppl. 3), 64–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Max, K. (2005). Anti-colonial research: Working as an ally with Aboriginal peoples. Counterpoints, 252, 79–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAlpine, C. A., Seabrook, L. M., Ryan, J. G., Feeney, B. J., Ripple, W. J., Ehrlich, A. H., et al. (2015). Transformational change: Creating a safe operating space for humanity. Ecology and Society, 20(1), 56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mezirow, J., & Taylor, E. W. (Eds.). (2009). Transformative learning in practice: Insights from community, workplace, and higher education. John Wiley & Sons.

  • Moore, J. (2005). Is higher education ready for transformative learning? A question explored in the study of sustainability. Journal of Transformative Education, 3(1), 76–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, D. (2006). Focus groups and social interactions. In J. Gubrium, J. Holstein, A. Marvasti, & K. McKinney (Eds.), The Sage handbook of interview research (pp. 161-176). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452218403.n11

  • MUACSN (n.d.) Indigenous ally toolkit. Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network. Available online at http://reseaumtlnetwork.com/resources/.

  • Norberg-Hodge, H. (2011). The economics of happiness trailer [motion picture]. Germany: Local Futures.

  • O’Connell, C. (2017). Becoming an ally to indigenous people. In S. Voogd-Cochrane, M. Chhabra, M. A. Jones, & D. Spragg (Eds.), Culturally responsive teaching and reflection in higher education: Promising practices from the cultural literacy curriculum project (pp. 53–62). Routledge.

  • O’Sullivan, E. (1999). Transformative learning: Educational vision for the 21st century. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Sullivan, E., & Taylor, M. (Eds.). (2004). Learning toward an ecological consciousness: Selected transformative practices. New York: Palgrave.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parkes, M. W., Poland, B., Allison, S., Cole, D. C., Culbert, I., Gislason, M. K. et al. (2020). Preparing for the future of public health: Ecological determinants of health and the call for an eco-social approach to public health education. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 111(1), 60–64.

  • Poland, B. (2020). Coming back to our true nature: What is the inner work that supports transition? In K. Zywert & S. Quilley (Eds.), Health in the Anthropocene: Living well on a finite planet (pp. 385–405). University of Toronto Press.

  • Poland, B., Parkes, M. W., Hancock, T., McKibbon, G., & Chircop, A. (2020). A changing role for public health in the Anthropocene: The contribution of scenario thinking for reimagining the future. In K. Zywert & S. Quilley (Eds.), Health in the Anthropocene: Living well on a finite planet (pp. 172–190). University of Toronto Press.

  • Rand, M., Sheppard, A., Jamal, S., Kewayosh, A., & Mashford-Pringle, A. (2019). Evaluation of the Aboriginal relationship and cultural competency courses among a sample of Indigenous services Canada nurses. International Journal of Indigenous Health, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.32799/ijih.v14i1.31967.

  • Redvers, N. (2018). The value of global indigenous knowledge in planetary health. Challenges, 9(30). https://doi.org/10.3390/challe9020030.

  • Rist, S., & Dahdouh-Guebas, F. (2006). Ethnosciences: A step towards integration of scientific and indigenous forms of knowledge in the management of natural resources for the future. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 8, 467–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J., & Cole, R. J. (2015). Theoretical underpinnings of regenerative sustainability. Building Research and Information, 43(2), 133–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J., Burch, S., Talwar, S., O’Shea, M., & Walsh, M. (2011). Envisioning sustainability: Recent progress in the use of participatory backcasting approaches for sustainability research. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 78, 756–768.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seyfang, G., & Haxeltine, A. (2012). Growing grassroots innovations: Exploring the role of community-based initiatives in governing sustainable energy transitions. Environment & Planning C, 30, 381–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shawanda, A. (2017). An examination of the integration processes of Anishinaabe smudging ceremonies in Northeastern Ontario health care facilities (Doctoral dissertation, Laurentian University of Sudbury).

  • Simpson, L. (2008). Lighting the eighth fire: The liberation, resurgence and protection of Indigenous nations. Winnipeg, MN: Arbeiter Ring Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples. London: Zed Books.

  • Snelgrove, C., Dhamoon, R. K., & Corntassel, J. (2014). Unsettling settler colonialism: The discourse and politics of settlers, and solidarity with Indigenous nations. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 3(2), 1–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sterling, S. (2010). Transformative learning and sustainability: Sketching the conceptual ground. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 5, 17–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tachine, A. R., Bird, E. Y., & Cabrera, N. L. (2016). Sharing circles: An Indigenous methodological approach for researching with groups of Indigenous peoples. International Review of Qualitative Research, 9(3), 277–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, E. W., & Cranton, P. (Eds.). (2012). The handbook of transformative learning: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.

  • Thomson, B. (2011). Pachakuti: Indigenous perspectives, buen vivir, sumaq kawsay and degrowth. Development, 54(4), 448–454.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuck, E., & Yang, W. (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1), 1–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walia, H. (2012). Decolonizing together: Moving beyond a politics of solidarity toward a practice of decolonization. Briarpatch, jan/feb, 27–30.

  • Wall Kimmerer, R. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.

  • Wallace, R. (2013). Merging fires: Grassroots peacebuilding Between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples. Halifax, NS: Fernwood.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, J. (2019). Lo-TEK Design by Radical Indigenism. Italy: Taschen.

  • Williams, L. (2013). Deepening ecological relationality through critical onto-epistemological inquiry: Where transformative learning meets sustainable science. Journal of Transformative Education, 11(2), 95–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, L., & Claxton, N. (2017). Recultivating intergenerational resilience: Possibilities for ‘scaling DEEP’ through disruptive pedagogies of decolonication and reconciliation. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 22, 58–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yassi, A., Lockhart, K., Gray, P., & Hancock, T. (2019). Is public health training in Canada meeting current needs? Defrosting the paradigm freeze to respond to the post-truth era. Critical Public Health, 29(1), 40–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zapata Campos, M. J., & Zapata, P. (2017). Infiltrating citizen-driven initiatives for sustainability. Environmental Politics, 26(6), 1055–1078.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Clayton Shirt, the Indigenous elder who co-facilitated the majority of our circle dialogue sessions, the participants in our dialogue circles, and the following co-investigator and collaborator members of our extended research team: René Audet, Astrid Brousselle, Randolph Haluza-Delay, Mark Hathaway, Trevor Hancock, Peter Jones, Jeffrey Masuda, Wendy Nelson, Eimear O’Neill, Margot Parkes, John Robinson, Suzanne Stewart. We also acknowledge the contributions of the following student trainees: Gregoire Benzakin, Kim Slater, Pani Pajouhesh, and Steve Williams.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Blake Poland.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Poland, B., Mashford-Pringle, A. & Bowra, A. Many lenses for planetary health: seeding citizen engagement for sustainable futures visioning with new ways of seeing. Can J Public Health 111, 901–911 (2020). https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-020-00424-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-020-00424-0

Keywords

Mots-clés

Navigation