S05E06: Valuing What Matters: Indigenous Sovereignty and Health Economics Evaluation with Elliott Young

Bio Elliott Young is a Nehiyaw (Cree) scholar from Ermineskin Cree Nation with family ties to Louis Bull Tribe, Samson Cree Nation, and Tsuut’ina Nation. He lives in Edmonton with his wife and two children and is a PhD Candidate in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. His doctoral research, Indigenous Sovereignty through Health Economics Evaluation, examines how Nehiyaw worldviews can reshape how health systems define value and make decisions. Elliott has over a decade of experience in government, education, and the non-profit sector advancing Indigenous engagement, education, and evaluation. He is Vice Chair of the Maskwacis Education School Commission, an Associate Editor of the Roots and Relations section of the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, and sits on the Canadian Evaluation Society’s Working Group on Advancing Reconciliation and Indigenous Sovereignty in Evaluation. He is a SSHRC Doctoral Fellow and a 2020 Edify Magazine Top 40 Under 40 recipient.    Overview In this episode, Gladys sits down with Elliott Young, Nêhiyaw scholar, evaluator, and PhD candidate, to explore his journey into evaluation and the questions that continue to shape his work. Elliott reflects on his early experiences in Indigenous engagement and relationship-building that led him to ask deeper questions about impact, organizational change, and how institutions measure success. What began as a curiosity about evaluation has evolved into doctoral research examining the intersection of Indigenous sovereignty and health economics evaluation.    Elliott asks important questions and offers observations about how health systems make decisions about funding, value, and resource allocation, and the ways Indigenous peoples are often excluded from those processes. Elliott shares how his research is investigating what it would mean to create space for Indigenous worldviews, leadership, and decision-making within health economics evaluation. The conversation expands into broader reflections on Indigenous evaluation, the challenges of defining the field, and the importance of grounding evaluation in Indigenous governance, community priorities, and sovereignty rather than simply adapting existing frameworks.    Resources  Maskwacîs Education Schools Commission (MESC) Roots & Relations in the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation    Insights For Indigenous Evaluation Book (Open access and free online!) https://pressbooks.pub/indigenousinsightscollective/  For more visit: https://www.gladysrowe.com/podcast (Scroll to the bottom to subscribe to the newsletter!) If you are loving this podcast please leave a five star review on your favourite streaming service. If you would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod