Indigenous Insights: An Evaluation Podcast

Dr. Lindsay Marie Brant  is the Director, Indigenous Initiatives at St. Lawrence College and is from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. In addition to her administrative role, Lindsay is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Master of Health Professions Education program at Queen’s, and Senior Advisor, Teaching, Innovation and Learning, advising on the curriculum design and redevelopment for this program. Lindsay has received several awards in recognition of her contributions to education, including the Educational Leadership Award from the Educational Developers Caucus and an Ideas Worth Teaching Award from the Aspen Institute in 2021, the latter acknowledging her innovative work in the Commerce program at Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. Most recently, she was honoured with the Canadian Association for Medical Education’s Certificate of Merit Award (2024) for her impactful work in health education curriculum development. Lindsay was also the 2025 recipient of the Indigenous Women’s Movement Award from the Ontario Native Women’s Association, honouring her commitment to leading community-driven and values- based work both in community, and across educational institutions. Lindsay has also been honoured with several team awards from Queen’s University, including Principal’s Teaching & Learning Award for Indigenous Education (2 x recipient in 2023 and in 2026).   Dr. Brant was recently named an inaugural invited scholar and Pedagogy of Peace Nexus leader in the newly established Queen’s Institute for Educational Scholarship and Research (QIESR) at Queen’s University, which will allow for cross-institutional research, and global reach for advancing Indigenous knowledges/research/scholarship/educational praxis.   In addition to her academic and leadership roles, Lindsay is also an accomplished storyteller, writer, and poet, whose work is rooted in Indigenous knowledges, values, creativity, and community/ancestral connection and healing.   Overview In this episode, Gladys is joined by Dr. Lindsay Brant. Rooted in her community of Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and guided by the teachings embedded in her name, Lindsay shares a deeply personal journey of leadership, storytelling, and coming into her responsibilities as a knowledge carrier. Their conversation focuses on how her love of language, land, and water shaped her understanding of education as a relational practice and ultimately led to the development of her Pedagogy of Peace framework.   Lindsay reflects on creating the framework during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing upon the teachings of the Great Law of Peace, Haudenosaunee values, and Anishinaabe understandings of relationality and balance. The episode explores how peace, strength, a good mind, and self-in-relation can guide educational practice, leadership, and evaluation. Lindsay offers reflections on the responsibilities that come with sharing Indigenous knowledge within institutional spaces, the importance of protecting community-rooted teachings, and the role of poetry and creative practice in imagining decolonial futures. The episode closes with Lindsay sharing her poem Fearless Futures, a powerful reflection on hope, world-building, and the possibilities that emerge when we choose peace, connection, and collective care.   Resources  Queen’s University Centre for Teaching and Learning Pedagogy of Peace Animation. Available through the Queen’s Centre for Teaching and Learning YouTube channel. 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

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

Overview In this episode, Gladys sits down with Dr. Shawn Wilson, author of Research Is Ceremony, to reflect on the ongoing evolution of Indigenous research, evaluation, and relational ways of knowing. Moving between humor, storytelling, and deep reflection, Shawn revisits the origins of Research Is Ceremony and shares how writing to his children and future generations transformed not only the style of his work, but the accountability and intention behind it.   Together, they explore Indigenous research and evaluation as relational, living, and deeply contextual practices grounded in respect, reciprocity, and care for community. Shawn reflects on the importance of recognizing research and evaluation as interconnected processes rooted in pattern recognition, relationship-building, and collective wellbeing. The conversation moves through stories of Indigenous evaluation in community settings, mentorship and “academic kinship,” and the role of intergenerational relationships in sustaining Indigenous scholarship.   Throughout the episode, he reminds listeners that Indigenous research is not simply defined by the identity of the researcher, but by an intentional commitment to honoring relationships as the fundamental nature of the universe.   Dr Shawn Wilson (he/him) BSc (U Manitoba), MA (U Alaska), PhD (Monash) is from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Canada and lives on Syilx territory in Kelowna, British Columbia.  He is a Professor of Indigenous Studies and coordinates the Indigenous Knowledges Theme at the University of British Columbia. Shawn has worked with Indigenous people worldwide and co-leads a research project aiming to define rules and guidelines for respecting and safeguarding sacred teachings, such as Ceremonial and Star Knowledge. He has spent time living, teaching and researching across Canada, the US, Australia, and Norway, along with supervising research projects in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Shawn is the author of Research is Ceremony, which has sold out multiple printings. He is on the Board of Directors with the Tapestry Institute and has joined the newly established advisory group at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Shawn has presented at Goals House (Davos) as part of the World Economic Forum and the Mir Centre for Peace. He cites his 3 kids as his greatest achievement, pride and joy.   Resources  Shawn Wilson (2008) – Research Is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods SAGE Program – Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement. Indigenous graduate student peer and mentorship support initiative across UBC, Simon Fraser University, and UBC Okanagan 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

Bio Dr. Kathy Absolon loves sharing stories about how we come to know. She is Anishinaabekwe from Flying Post First Nation Treaty 9. She has been involved in restoring Indigenous knowledge in education for 40 years now and for the last 19 years has been a professor in the Indigenous Field of Study MSW program in the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her search for How we Come to Know is shared in her books Kaandossiwin How We Come To Know (Fernwood Publishing 2022, 2nd Ed. & 2011). Kathy’s work as a community helper has been informed by her close relationship to the land and her drive to restore Anishinaabe ways of knowing, being and doing. In this podcast she shares her most recent Indigenous and decolonial re-search project of Decolonizing Journeys.    Overview  In this deeply reflective episode, Gladys is joined by Dr. Kathy Absolon, Anishinaabe scholar, educator, and long-time community helper, to explore her lifelong journey of restoring Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. Kathy shares her origin story rooted in the land where she learned in the bush, guided by ancestors, and grounded in relational ethics long before formal academic training. She reflects on the tensions of entering Western academia, the erasure of Indigenous knowledge systems, and the decision to resist and center Indigenous methodologies in her doctoral work. Kathy shares stories from the Decolonizing Journeys research project, which explores how individuals engage in the ongoing process of unpacking colonial beliefs, values, and practices. Engaging in methodology grounded in circle work, digital storytelling, and relational accountability, the project resists conventional analysis and honours each participant’s journey as unique and evolving. Make sure to watch out for the upcoming book and documentary based on this work. Throughout the episode, Kathy emphasizes that decolonizing is not about returning to a pre-contact past, but about making conscious choices both individually and collectively to realign with Indigenous knowledge systems, restore relationships, and act with intention. This conversation is an invitation to reflect on our own journeys, to stay with discomfort, and to approach research, evaluation, and life itself as an ongoing, relational process of coming to know.    Resources  Kandosowin: How We Come to Know Digital Storytelling & Re•Vision Centre for Art and Social Justice (York University) 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 

Overview  In this episode, Gladys is joined by Rachel Chaffee, Abby Perez, and Sakira Hermawan to reflect on their collaborative evaluation of the Grounded by Our Roots exhibit in the Pacific Northwest Coast Hall at the American Museum of Natural History.The conversation traces how their partnership began and explores the possibilities that emerge when museums invite Indigenous approaches to evaluation and storytelling into cultural halls. Together, they share how the team designed an evaluation process that moved beyond traditional survey-based methods to center embodied experience, creativity, and relationship. Through youth partnerships, focus groups, zine-making, storytelling, and time spent in the hall with Indigenous curatorial fellow James McGuire (Haida Nation), visitors were invited to reflect on their emotional, sensory, and relational experiences of the exhibit. Grounded in the Four Rs framework: reflexivity, respect, reciprocity, and relationality, the team reflects on how this approach transformed their understanding of evaluation, museum responsibility, and the role of visitors in meaning-making. The conversation also highlights the importance of vulnerability, time, and trust in collaborative evaluation processes, and the ways creative and relational methods can open new pathways for learning within institutions. Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to imagine how evaluation can become a space for relationship-building, embodied reflection, and new storytelling within cultural institutions.    Bios Rachel Chaffee is an Assistant Director of Youth Research and Evaluation at the American Museum of Natural History. She completed a Ph.D. in Education with a focus on learning in out-of-school-time settings at the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education. Her areas of research include participatory methodologies with youth and the role of belonging and flourishing in youth academic and career pathways.    Abby Perez is the Senior Manager of Youth and Workforce Development at the American Museum of Natural History. She designs museum programs centering community, science and communication. She is passionate about exploring museums as third spaces, community-driven research, and expanding pathways for youth to experience and exchange culture within New York City and beyond.   Sakira Hermawan is a student in her last year at Barnard College, studying Anthropology and minoring in Ethnicity and Race. She is from Indonesia but is currently based in New York City. Her current areas of interest include alternative pedagogies and knowledge production, grassroots organizing, and space-making.   Resources Grounded by Our Roots Exhibit. Pacific Northwest Coast Hall, American Museum of Natural History American Museum of Natural History Museum Education Experience Program (MEEP) Evaluation as Relationship: Embedding the Four R’s of Storytelling into Museum Spaces, Journal of Museum Education.  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

In this episode, Gladys sits down with Dr. Chesleigh Keene, Diné (Navajo) scholar and Vice President of Research and Evaluation at a Native-owned organization, to explore her journey into Indigenous evaluation. What began in relationship with her students supporting them in grounding their research in community evolved into a career shaped by cultural values, storytelling, and relational accountability. Dr. Keene reflects on teaching during the pandemic, navigating academia as an Indigenous scholar, and shifting from traditional academic models toward community-centered research and evaluation. Together, Gladys and Chesleigh explore what it means to let stories “touch us” as evaluators, to move beyond rigid templates, and to resist flattening the complexity of community experiences. They discuss the importance of slowing down, asking better questions, honoring seasonal rhythms, and tending to the emotional impact of the work on ourselves and our teams. This episode is an invitation to practice evaluation as relationship, to be changed by the work, and to carry that responsibility with care. Bio Dr. Chesleigh Keene (Diné/Navajo) serves as vice president for KAI’s research and evaluation team, bringing over a decade of experience advancing health and wellness in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities and improving health and wellness outcomes through culture-centric research, teaching, and service. Guided by Indigenous values, Dr. Keene integrates cultural and ceremonial elements into her work, focusing on cancer prevention, mental health, and education initiatives for AI/AN populations. She has collaborated on multidisciplinary teams, promoted cultural sensitivity in research, and taught graduate courses with a focus on Indigenous perspectives. Dr. Keene’s career spans impactful roles in academia, mental health treatment, and community health, including leading the first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Day of Honor at Northern Arizona University. She has worked with the Native American Research Centers for Health and the National Cancer Institute, championing diversity and inclusion in health research. Dr. Keene holds a doctor of philosophy degree in counseling psychology from the University of Denver; a master of art degree in community counseling from Loyola University; and a bachelor of art degree in psychology from Fort Lewis College.    Resources 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

Overview  Season 5 opens with a reflective and “meta” conversation about the creation of Insights for Indigenous Evaluation—an open-access book drawn from the first season of the podcast. Gladys is joined by Taylor Wilson and Nadine Flagel, who share the journey of transforming spoken conversations into a living, multimedia text. Together, they explore what it means to carry stories with care: honoring voice, relational accountability, Indigenous knowledge stewardship, and editorial responsibility. The episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at decisions around accessibility, open access publishing, copyright, and co-creation. Rather than producing a traditional textbook, the team chose to create a reflective, multi-vocal resource that invites readers into relationship with Indigenous evaluation practices. This conversation highlights themes of Indigenous resurgence, relational editing, stylistic integrity, and knowledge sovereignty while reminding listeners that how we publish and share knowledge must align with the values we hold in evaluation practice. The episode closes with an invitation to engage with the book, support the podcast, and continue learning in community. Taylor Wilson is an Ojibwe, Cree, and Filipina scholar and member of Fisher River Cree Nation on Treaty 5 territory, with connections to Peguis First Nation (Treaty 1), Fairford First Nation (Treaty 2), and the Ilocano region of the Philippines. She grew up between Fisher River and Winnipeg (Treaty 1 and homeland of the Métis Nation) and now lives and works primarily the traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation. Taylor is currently pursuing her PhD in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia.   Taylor’s work is rooted in Indigenous food sovereignty, health, and evaluation, with a commitment to Indigenous methodologies, relational accountability, and data sovereignty. She has contributed to community-based research and evaluation, curriculum development, and taught in Australia, Hawai’i, and across central and western Canada. She began her journey with Dr. Gladys Rowe and the Indigenous Insights team in 2024 offering support to the many projects, partners, and communities they work with. She describes herself as a learner, listener, and helper to strengthen relationships, stories, and practices that sustain Indigenous life for generations to come. Nadine Flagel is a Vancouver, BC-based settler with English, Irish, and German roots. She has a BA in English from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, an MA in Cultural Studies from the University of Sussex, in Brighton, UK, and a PhD in twentieth-century English Literature from Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS. Her dissertation was about how contemporary fiction borrows from 18th and 19th century black autobiography, especially slave narratives. Nadine taught literature and composition on contract at various postsecondary institutions in Canada for nearly twenty years. She has also worked as a grant and report writer at not-for-profits. Now she works as a researcher, writer and editor on books and articles connected to social justice. She’s also a textile artist with a specialty in reusing fabrics in rugs and quilts. Resources Insights For Indigenous Evaluation Book (Open access and free online!) https://pressbooks.pub/indigenousinsightscollective/  Elements of Indigenous Style, Gregory Younging Beneath the Red Umbrella, Genevieve Fuji Johnson, Carrie Porth & contributors A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf 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

Overview  In this closing episode of the Season 4 Spotlight Series, Dr. Gladys Rowe and Dr. Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara reflect back on the teachings, tensions, and transformations that emerged across the season’s conversations. This episode creates space for collective sensemaking, where Liz and Gladys reflect on how these dialogues have shifted their thinking about evaluation, leadership, and anti-colonial practice.  Drawing on lessons from guests throughout the season, they explore the importance of doing the “work before the work,” grounding evaluation in relationship, story, and accountability. The conversation weaves together reflections on Indigenous and anti-colonial theories of change, the courage to “say the things,” evaluation as a practice of love, and the responsibility to evaluate toward the futures we want to live into. The episode closes with gratitude for the guests and listeners who journeyed through the season, and an invitation to carry these teachings forward into evaluation spaces, institutions, and everyday practice guided by love, humility, and relational accountability.  Resources Leanne Simpson As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34850530-as-we-have-always-done    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

Corrie Whitmore, Associate Professor of Health Sciences at University of Alaska Anchorage, served as 2023 President of the American Evaluation Association and founding president (2012) of the Alaska Evaluation Network (AKEN). She is a lifelong Alaskan who returned to the state after completing an M.S. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at Virginia Tech to help Alaska "grow our own" workforce and support the health of our community in the Division of Population Health Sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her current work centers around exploring the role of trust in a patient-provider relationship and evaluating programs designed to build and support community wellness, particularly in tribal contexts. Dr. Whitmore's teaching invites story into the health policy classroom, partners evaluation students with community programs where they can apply their learning to support operations, and introduces students to what public health looks like in Alaska. Overview  In this episode Dr. Gladys Rowe and Dr. Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara are joined by Dr. Corrie Whitmore, Associate Professor of Health Sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage, former President of the American Evaluation Association, and founding President of the Alaska Evaluation Network. Corrie shares her journey as an “accidental evaluator,” tracing how her lifelong relationship to Alaska, her academic training in psychology, and her work within Alaska Native–led health systems shaped her understanding of evaluation as a deeply relational and community-rooted practice. The conversation explores the role of trust, story, and cultural humility in evaluation, particularly within Indigenous and Tribal contexts. Corrie reflects on learning to move beyond Western notions of professionalism and expertise, emphasizing the importance of showing up as a full human being in relationship with community. She shares lessons from her work in Alaska Native health organizations, her experiences building local evaluation capacity, and her leadership within AEA—including her decision to center story as the 2023 conference theme. Throughout the episode, Corrie speaks candidly about mistakes, learning, and growth, offering grounded insights into land acknowledgements, Indigenous sovereignty, evaluation ethics, and the responsibility evaluators hold to listen, witness, and translate community knowledge without extracting it. The episode closes with a powerful reminder that evaluation, at its best, is not about distance or neutrality but about relationship, accountability, and honoring the stories communities entrust us to carry forward. Resources  Article: Teaching Evaluation Through Community-Engaged Learning Courses Article: Making Land Acknowledgements in the University Setting Meaningful and Appropriate Article: Facilitating Culturally Safe Conversations Around Substance Use Disorder and Contraception to Provide Inclusive Care for Neurodiverse and Neurotypical Populations   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

Bio Hafsa Mustafa – Decolonial MEL Strategist - is a researcher, writer, and data expert with more than 20 years of experience in the field of learning and evaluation. Hafsa's perspective is rooted in both professional expertise and personal history. Her career spans grassroots movements, philanthropy, impact investing, and academia, where she has helped organizations turn complex information into actionable insights and impact strategies that are grounded, equity-driven, and built to endure. Informed by mentorship across global movements and a family legacy rooted in justice, she is committed to making research and evaluation non-extractive, relational, and a driver of transformative change.   Overview In this thought-provoking episode, hosts Dr. Gladys Rowe and Dr. Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara are joined by Hafsa Mustafa, a decolonial monitoring, evaluation, and learning strategist whose 20+ years of work span grassroots movements, philanthropy, impact investing, and academia. Hafsa shares her evaluation origin story, weaving together her family’s history of displacement under British colonialism, her experience growing up in Karachi’s dual education systems, and her awakening to how colonial frameworks shape knowledge, language, and data. In this episode, the conversation moves through the many ways Hafsa is reimagining evaluation as a liberatory and justice-oriented practice. She shares how her partnerships with global social movements have reshaped the meaning of impact - centering collaboration, relationship, and shared power rather than compliance or control. Hafsa reflects on the principles of trust-based giving, which challenge traditional philanthropy by emphasizing long-term, relationship-centered approaches grounded in mutual accountability. Drawing inspiration from solidarity economies in Mexico, landless worker movements in Brazil, and women’s cooperatives in Nepal, she highlights how collective power and intergenerational learning create sustainable change. Finally, Hafsa introduces her “liberatory evaluation” tools - the diagnostic and champion’s map - that help individuals and organizations locate themselves within systems of power and envision tangible pathways toward equity and transformation.   Resources  Just Insights – https://justinsights.org   Email: [email protected]  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

Bio What happens when Black identity is loved, protected, and defended as we collectively learn about process and change in communities, organizations and programs? This is the question that dr. monique liston unapologetically built a community-engaged intellectual and regenerative life practice around. She is the founder, chief strategist, and joyful militant at UBUNTU Research and Evaluation, an undisciplined learning organization in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As the daughter of Ursula, granddaughter of Gracie J. and Bernice, pet-mom of Simone, a mini Goldendoodle, and Franklin, a Russian Box Tortoise, she asks that you send her recommendations of bookstores, restaurants, and beaches to help her find joy while surviving the end of a white supremacist heteropatriarchal queerphobic world. Overview In this powerful episode, Gladys and Liz are joined by Dr. Monique Liston — Founder, Chief Strategist, and joyful militant at Ubuntu Research & Evaluation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Monique centers Black liberation, joy, and collective thriving in her evaluation practice and invites us to imagine — and measure — toward the worlds our communities deserve.  Monique invites us into a bold reimagining of evaluation as a liberatory practice rooted in Black joy, dignity, and possibility. She describes her approach to Black liberatory evaluation as one that rejects deficit-based narratives and instead insists on measuring progress toward the thriving futures Black communities deserve. Together, the conversation explores how solidarity requires what Monique calls “minding your business deeply”—grounding ourselves in our own histories, responsibilities, and communities so that cross-movement alignment is built with intention rather than assumption. They also dive into Ubuntu’s Afrofuturist Evaluation and Beloved Community frameworks, which evaluate present-day efforts based on their ability to move us toward worlds free from oppression. Throughout, Monique speaks candidly about the tensions evaluators face when working inside systems that don’t always reflect our values, and emphasizes the role of joy, curiosity, and writing as essential acts of resistance, mentorship, and future-building. Resources Check out Fractals here. AEA GEDI Internship   Email: [email protected]  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

Bio Louise Adongo was born and mostly raised in Kenya but has also lived in various parts of Southern Africa. A bold and grounded leader with close to 20 years' experience in systems change, policy and evaluation, Louise runs the inclusive engagement consultancy, Caprivian Strip Inc (CSI) and is a co-steward in systemic mediation with the Transition Bridges Project collective *https://www.transitionbridges.net  Drawing lessons and wisdom from her heritage, faith, creativity as well as assorted personal & professional experiences, she brings care and intention to uncovering the roots of tangled problems; enabling shifts to greater resilience, sustainability and impact.  She believes that co-creating more nimble, transparent and creative institutional spaces is key to the reinvention that we have learned through our most recent pandemic that we all need. She also understands that connection in communities can be made possible quite unexpectedly one conversation at a time.    Overview  In this episode, hosts Dr. Gladys Rowe and Dr. Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara sit down with Louise Adongo, a systems change leader, evaluator, and founder of Caprivian Strip, an inclusive and empathy-based consulting firm that uses facilitation, research, and evaluation to support clients in their change work. Louise shares her origin story from Kenya to Nova Scotia, exploring how love, courage, and truth-telling shape her approach to systems transformation and evaluation. Together, they explore what it means to say the things—to have the courage to name what is often left unspoken within systems of power, oppression, and policy. Louise reflects on how unaddressed grief and trauma can keep systems stuck, emphasizing that witnessing and naming these truths is essential for transformation. The conversation moves into a reflection on dignity in transition, inviting a reimagining of leadership and organizational change as opportunities for healing rather than moments defined by burnout or shame. They close by turning toward creativity and joy, considering how art, play, and embodiment can restore a sense of wholeness, imagination, and connection in decolonial and systems change work.   Email: [email protected]  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

Toni (she/her) is a descendant of white settlers, mostly from Britain, Ireland, Wales who was born and raised here, in Treaty One territory, in the heart of the Metis nation in Winnipeg MB, Canada. She is a daughter, sister, wife, parent, friend, community member, and a member of the 2SLGBTQQIA* community. Toni has a deep love for animals and the beauty of Mother Earth. She is committed to dismantling the systems, structures, and processes of colonization, oppression and injustice that cause harm, imbalance, and injustice. This must be work focused on the personal, organizational and systems levels. She believes we all have the capacity to heal ourselves, Mother Earth and continue to flourish as communities. She also believes on this journey, we need others -always - to walk with. All that we do is relational. Toni has a Master of Social Work from the University of Manitoba with a specialization in Leadership/Social Policy/Administration in not-for profits and over 25 years of experience working with people, communities, systems, and organizations. She has spent over 20 years providing direct clinical services, works in the not-for-profit sector at the executive level and is the owner and primary operator of Resurgence Consulting & Counselling Overview In this second episode of this spotlight series, hosts Dr. Gladys Rowe and Dr. Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara sat down with Toni Tilston-Jones—a leader, community advocate, and executive director—whose career has been rooted in dismantling systems of oppression and reimagining organizations through anti-colonial and decolonial practices. Toni shares her origin story, growing up in white settler spaces, navigating queerness in a society that denied belonging, and early experiences working with Indigenous youth in the justice and child welfare systems. These moments sharpened her understanding of oppression and fueled her lifelong commitment to system change, healing, and justice. In this episode, the conversation explores how decolonizing organizations must begin from the inside out—addressing racism and oppression before inviting Elders or community knowledge keepers into the work. Toni shares how she has used policy as a lever for change through a staff-led committee and analysis tool, leading to transformative shifts such as a compassionate leave policy and space for ceremony. Together, Gladys, Liz, and Toni reflect on evaluation as a practice of transformation, highlighting the development of a youth-led wellness card deck and staff reflection tools that center belonging, connection, and relationship as measures of well-being. At the heart of it all is Toni’s leadership philosophy—grounded in love, humility, and vulnerability—shaping a path away from hierarchy and toward shared leadership and relational accountability.   Email: [email protected]  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 

Dr. Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Laurentian University. She is a non-Indigenous scholar whose work focuses on the roles of non-Indigenous peoples in decolonization, reconciliation, Treaty, and LANDBACK; and on anti-colonial methodologies and decolonial change through public education and film. She is the author of the book Living in Indigenous Sovereignty and a filmmaker with the Stories of Decolonization Film Project.    Overview In this first episode of Season 4, host Gladys Rowe is joined by co-host Dr. Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara for the launch of a special spotlight series on anti-colonial and decolonial evaluation. Together, they explore the practices, tensions, and responsibilities of reimagining evaluation as a site of transformation rather than extraction. Elizabeth shares her origin story—from her upbringing in white communities in the U.S., to her early experiences working in an Indigenous school in Minneapolis, to her deeper learning through gatherings at Turtle Lodge in Manitoba. She reflects on her journey into anti-colonial praxis, the responsibilities of non-Indigenous peoples in decolonization, and the concept of living in Indigenous sovereignty. This conversation sets the stage for the season ahead—one that will feature Indigenous and non-Indigenous evaluators, scholars, practitioners, and knowledge keepers walking the path of decolonial and anti-colonial evaluation in different ways. Resources  Book: Living in Indigenous Sovereignty Film Series: Stories of Decolonization Film Project Turtle Lodge, Sakgeeng Manitoba: Turtle Lodge    Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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

In this season 3 finale, Gladys pauses in gratitude and looks back across a season filled with stories of disruption, creativity, and community-rooted evaluation. Drawing on the night sky as a guiding metaphor, she reflects on how each conversation this season has been a bright star in a larger constellation of Indigenous resurgence and systems change. Gladys shares what she has learned about holding space as a host, artist, and relative—how art and joy deepen evaluation, how protocol and relationship guide the work, and how community knowledges continue to root evaluation practices. From canoe journeys and star stories to poetry and collective reflection, this episode invites listeners to see evaluation as a living practice of wayfinding and belonging.   Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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 

In this episode, Gladys is joined by Natalie Nicholson, Pearl Walker Sweeney, and Roxanne Johnson—leaders and practitioners at Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming, an Anishinaabe-led women’s and family wellness clinic in Northern Minnesota. Together, they reflect on their journey of building a culturally grounded evaluation practice rooted in Anishinaabe values and relationships. From the origin story of Mewinzha, founded by Natalie's mother Millicent, to the development of a collaborative, community-centered evaluation approach, this conversation highlights the importance of being led and rooted within community priorities. Stories shared demonstrated the power of relational accountability, creativity, and reciprocal learning in designing programming that centers relatives' experiences. The guests share stories of how evaluation at Mewinzha isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about reflecting on their bundles, centering community wisdom, and continuously nurturing the spirit of the work. We share elements of the evaluation bundle, including the reflective and arts-based methods that have supported the team to walk in a good way, and how this Anishinaabe evaluation approach might offer lessons in leadership and transformation for the field. Bios Natalie Nicholson DNP, APRN, CNP, ILC is Arikara/Anishinaabe, Board Vice President, Clinical Director, DNP, APRN-CNP, OLY. She is enrolled in The Three Affiliated Tribes, Fort Berthhold, ND (Arikara), descendant of Red Lake Nation (Ojibwe) and Danish ancestry. Natalie has over 23 years of nursing/clinical experience in maternal infant women's health serving American Indians in northern Minnesota. She received my Doctorate in Nursing Practice from John's Hopkins School of Nursing in 2022, preparing me to lead in establishing our clinic and changing how healthcare is offered in our community. She leads the clinic administratively and provides medical/cultural care focusing on prenatal, postpartum, lactation and women's healthcare integrating spiritual, social, emotional and physical health. Fun note, she’s an Olympian!   Pearl Walker-Swaney, MPH, CD, CLC, ILC, RYT, is Lakota/Dakota/Anishinaabe enrolled in Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and from White Earth Nation. Pearl is a certified doula, yoga teacher, and student of energy therapy with a passion for lactation education. She has been in birth work for almost a decade and carries a deep appreciation of our cultural practices that support overall well being. Pearl is a mother, crafter, earring maker, enjoys family walks, poetry, children’s books, and loves dogs.    Roxanne Johnson, RDN, CDCES, CLC, ILC, is Anishinaabe enrolled in the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Tribe in Belcourt, ND. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for over 20 years working for tribal communities in Minnesota and California. She is passionate about ancestral foodways and American Indian wellness teachings. She enjoys teaching about making healthful changes starting in the kitchen. Roxanne is mom of 3 children, self-taught chef, crafter, and enjoys walking and traveling.    Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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

In this episode of Indigenous Insights, host Gladys Rowe welcomes Dr. Carolee Dodge Francis, Joseph Jean, and Linnea Hjelm for a conversation on kinship, mentorship, and the role of culturally responsive Indigenous evaluation. Together, they share how evaluation is more than a technical process, it is a relational practice that centers community, reciprocity, and the responsibilities evaluators carry in honoring Indigenous ways of knowing. Dr. Dodge Francis shares insights on Indigenous kinship as a framework for evaluation and mentorship, while Joseph and Linnea reflect on their experiences as emerging evaluators navigating academia and community-based research. The conversation highlights the importance of intergenerational knowledge-sharing, humility in evaluation, and the need to challenge extractive research practices. Tune in for a rich discussion on transforming evaluation through Indigenous values, fostering mentorship rooted in care, and ensuring that evaluation serves as a tool for strengthening relationships and building decolonial futures.   Dr. Carolee Dodge Francis is a Native American (citizen of Oneida Nation) qualitative social behavioral researcher, Chair of the Civil Society and Community Studies Department and Endowed Lola Culver Professor within the School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison. She strives to intertwine community engagement, research scholarship and student mentorship as a reflection of her cultural understanding within a contemporary context that is focused upon the well-being of Indigenous populations. Dr. Dodge Francis has over 30+ years’ work experience in public health/community wellness, Indigenous evaluation & program development, and community-based participatory research. She intersects curriculum adaptation and culture to create culturally responsive educational materials for urban and rural Native American communities. Dr. Dodge Francis is a published author and has been a Principal Investigator with federal and foundation funding entities for the past two decades. Joseph Jean (He/Him) is a mixed Dinè (Navajo) queer Ph.D. student in Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research aims to address social injustices and improve community health for Indigenous and Queer communities with whom he identifies with. He holds an M.P.H. from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where he specialized in social and behavioral health and biological sciences. He has held various positions, including lecturer, teaching assistant, program assistant, and research assistant for numerous University-affiliated centers, institutes, and laboratories. His experiences include designing, collecting, and reporting on qualitative and quantitative research methods. His academic and professional interests include public health, evaluation, Indigenous frameworks, and health behavior theories. Email: [email protected]    Linnea Hjelm, MS, is a PhD Candidate in the Civil Society and Community Research department in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology. Linnea is a mixed, Hispanic woman who has a rich cultural background that merges her Swedish and Mexican roots. As a graduate student, she has received a comprehensive training in community-based participatory research methods and transformative evaluation design, and has applied these approaches in projects with many unique community partners. Building from her experiences as a peer educator and crisis advocate, Linnea’s dissertation research explores the impacts of youth leadership and engagement in sexual violence prevention, specifically in the context of a county-level sexual violence resource center, with whom she has been a collaborator for 4 years.   Show Notes Articles  Kinship pathways: Nurturing and sustaining resilient, responsible, and respected indigenous evaluators, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ev.20537 Rooted in perpetuity: Weaving grandfather teachings as an ongoing journey for CRE, IE, and evaluators, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ev.20567 Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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

In this heartfelt episode of Indigenous Insights, host Gladys Rowe sits down with An Garagiola, an evaluator, researcher, writer, and PhD student. An shares her remarkable journey from overcoming personal and systemic challenges to becoming a passionate advocate for Indigenous research sovereignty. She reflects on her work with CEDAR (Community Engagement for Decolonizing and Advancing Research) and the Truth Project, discussing the importance of building trust, centering community voices, and challenging colonial frameworks in evaluation and research. An offers powerful insights into the role of Indigenous evaluation in healing and empowerment, posing thought-provoking questions about shifting from deficit narratives to strength-based approaches. She also highlights the importance of relationships, cultural frameworks, and grounding research and evaluation in Indigenous ways of knowing. This episode is a call to action for evaluators, researchers, and institutions to embrace transformation and honor the wisdom of Indigenous communities.   An Garagiola, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, MPP is a mother, PhD student, researcher, and writer born and raised in the Twin Cities. An’s dissertation focuses on Indigenous research sovereignty. She serves as the Research Manager at CEDAR (Community Engagement for Decolonizing and Advancing Research) a community-based research center at the Native American Community Clinic and GRA in the School of Family Medicine at the University of Minnesota. She works to Indigenize wellness research, identify sources of holistic well-being, and influence systems change through a cultural framework. As a mixed-race Anishinaabekwe of Ojibwe and European descent, An’s work blossoms from relational and place-based roots. An was UMN’s coordinator for The TRUTH Project  and co-author on Misplaced Trust where her research unearthed Minnesota’s system of land speculation and wealth transfer from Native Nations that continues to this day.  As an Organizational Development Consultant and founder of Echo Maker Consulting, An works primarily with Indigenous practitioners to rematriate Indigenous management, development, research, evaluation, and data sovereignty into internal and external partnerships. She is passionate about designing plans which help systems become more equitable, sustainable, and accessible for people who institutions continue to marginalize. She frames her work in the following: “How might systems maximize equitable transformation for Indigenous and communities of color, and how might relational ways of knowing and being merge with anti-colonial efforts that transform systems into ecosystems of holistic well-being?   Show Notes NACC’s website: https://nacc-healthcare.org/ Towards Recognition and University-Tribal Healing (TRUTH) Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC) TRUTH Project Page:  https://mn.gov/indian-affairs/truth-project/ UMN TRUTH Project Page: www.z.umn.edu/truthproject   https://www.firstnations.org/gallery/misty-blue-audrianna-goodwin-and-an-garagiola/ A link to our most current research with Grist: https://grist.org/project/indigenous/land-grant-universities-indigenous-lands-fossil-fuels/    An’s Personal websites: EchoMaker Consulting:https://sites.google.com/view/echo-maker-llc/about  Poetry and creative works: https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/an-gb/home   Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/ If you are loving this podcast please leave a five star review on your favourite streaming service.

Community Stories in Indigenous Evaluation with Veronica LaJoie In this episode of Indigenous Insights, host Gladys Rowe sits down with Veronica LaJoie, a dedicated member of the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, artist, and Indigenous evaluation specialist. Veronica shares her transformative journey into evaluation, beginning with foundational teachings from the Indigenous Evaluation Framework and scholars and leaders who have offered a pathway into how to approach this work in a good way. The conversation weaves through culturally grounded and strength-based approaches to evaluation, including the integration of art-based methods like ribbon work to honor community stories. Veronica offers listeners an invitation into the rigor, care, and reciprocity needed for Indigenous evaluation to flourish, reflecting on her work with cancer survivors and the importance of centering Indigenous values in evaluation processes. Veronica offers a spotlight on the power of community-driven storytelling, data sovereignty, and the growing influence of Indigenous frameworks in shaping a more equitable future. Bio   Veronica A. LaJoie is affiliated with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She is a dedicated member of her community and a devoted single mother to her son.   With a background in biosciences and public health, she has worked with the Indigenous Evaluation Framework in non-profit work, state departments, and Tribal programs and communities. She also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Evaluation Association.   Veronica is committed to culturally grounded, strength-based, and collaborative approaches that honor Indigenous values, promote individual and population wellness, and empower community voices.An artist at heart, Veronica integrates art and traditional practices into her work and life. She believes in the power of cultural expression to foster healing and insight.   Show Notes    The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel VanDerKolk: https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score  Research is Ceremony by Dr. Shawn Wilson: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/research-is-ceremony-shawn-wilson    Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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 

In this episode Gladys speaks with Shelby Corley, CEO of Three Hive Consulting and founder of Eval Academy. Shelby reflects on her journey into evaluation, drawing from her background in anthropology and health services to build a responsive and impactful consulting practice. Through Three Hive, Shelby emphasizes flexibility, relationship-building, and doing good work that aligns with community values. The conversation explores how Eval Academy was born out of a desire to share practical evaluation tools and learning opportunities, making evaluation more accessible for practitioners at all levels. Shelby also discusses her personal reflections on identity and reconciliation, explaining how these themes shape her approach to leadership and evaluation. Join this engaging discussion to hear how Shelby and her team are transforming evaluation practices, supporting reconciliation, and cultivating a learning space where evaluators grow alongside the communities they serve. Shelby Corley is a Credentialed Evaluator who has been conducting research and evaluations in the health and human services sectors for over fifteen years. She is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, CEO of Three Hive Consulting, and co-founder of Eval Academy. Shelby is committed to building evaluation capacity and growing clients’ skills in using evaluation insights to drive impact. She loves facilitating evaluation learning, and her approach has been described as “delivering content with meat in a fun and interesting way.”   Show Notes    Three Hive Consulting: https://www.threehive.ca/ Eval Academy: https://www.evalacademy.com/ University of Alberta free course, “Indigenous Canada”: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html OCAP training: https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/take-the-course/   Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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 

In this episode host Gladys Rowe engages in a powerful conversation with Indigenous feminist philosopher and educator Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner. Shelbi shares her journey into evaluation through her work on Indigenous language reclamation and her deep engagement within Indigenous research methods. She discusses the significance of relationship-building, the centrality of kinship and gender diversity, and the creation of the Indigenous Feminist Evaluation Framework. Shelbi also highlights her role as the founding director of the Indigenous Futures Lab and her inspiring work on community-driven projects. Together, Gladys and Shelbi reflect on how Indigenous knowledge systems, felt knowledge, and artistic practices like basket weaving can transform research and evaluation processes. This episode is a rich exploration of Indigenous feminist approaches to evaluation and the importance of centering community voices and diverse knowledges. Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner (Luiseño & Cupeño) is an Indigenous feminist philosopher. Shelbi researches, teaches, and consults on Indigenous research and evaluation methods, cultural and language reclamation, Indigenous epistemologies, Indigenous feminist interventions in critical social work, and land-based feminist coalition-building. Shelbi is fascinated by the intersections of Indigenous knowledge systems, caretaking, power, and trauma. Shelbi is a proud first-generation descendant of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, and is of both Luiseño (Payómkawichum) and Cupeño (Kupangaxwichem) descent. She is an assistant professor in the Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at University of Maryland, College Park and the founding director of the Indigenous Futures Lab, a hub of Indigenous feminist research and evaluation.   Show Notes    Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner’s website and Indigenous Futures Lab: https://www.nahwilet.com/ My Two Aunties: https://www.indianhealth.com/tribal-family-services (scroll down) “Indigenous Feminist Evaluation Methods: A Case Study in ‘My Two Aunties’”: https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/full/10.3138/cjpe-2023-0042   Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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

In this episode, host Gladys Rowe is joined by Heather Burke and Cheyenne Williams for a conversation about the power of community-led learning and environmental stewardship. The guests share their experiences working on The Xwulqw'selu Riparian Guardians Program in Cowichan territory, highlighting the importance of centering Indigenous knowledge holders in education. The discussion also explores how institutions like Vancouver Island University are shifting toward more responsive, land-based learning approaches in collaboration with Indigenous communities. Tune in for a rich dialogue about decolonizing education, building lasting relationships, and holding and resourcing space for communities to lead their own stories of environmental restoration and stewardship.   Heather Burke, BA, MA is Métis with ancestral ties to the former Red River Settlement, a historical Métis community. She has Indigenous and European ancestry on her father’s side and English and American ancestry on her mother’s side. Heather is the Manager, Indigenous Initiatives in the Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement at Vancouver Island University. Heather works to centre and amplify Indigenous voices through sharing promising practices and teachings coming from Indigenous learners, communities, families, the VIU community, and other learning partners as a way to be accountable to these groups and honour the responsibility to be transparent and authentic in our work together.   Cheyenne Williams is from Cowichan Tribes, with roots in both Tsaminat Village and Kyuquot on the west coast of Vancouver Island. She also has ancestry from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Cheyenne is dedicated to environmental stewardship in her role with Cowichan Tribes, where she is developing a riparian guardians program to address environmental concerns in her community. Her work is informed by deep connections with community members and an understanding of the land, combining traditional knowledge with modern environmental practices to restore and protect Cowichan territory.   Show Notes   The Office of Indigenous Education Engagement at Vancouver Island University: https://indigenous.viu.ca/ “Xwulqw’selu Sta’lo’: Quw’utsun Mustimuhw Hwialasmut tu Tumuhw.” By Heather Burke, Cheyenne Williams, and Maureen Thomas. Feb 16, 2024. https://news.viu.ca/community-classroom/community-classroom-blog/xwulqwselu-stalo-quwutsun-mustimuhw Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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

In this episode, Gladys sits down with Dr. Pālama Lee, Dr. Brandon Ledward, and Nina Murrow to discuss Native Hawaiian wellbeing and Indigenous evaluation frameworks. Together, they share their journeys into the field of evaluation, exploring how ancestral knowledge, community-driven approaches, and data sovereignty are transforming health and social outcomes for Native Hawaiians. The group reflects on the significance of the Kūkulu Kumuhana Wellbeing Framework and the ʻImi Pono Hawai‘i Wellbeing Survey, offering insights into the collective power of Indigenous self-determination, culture, and spirituality in shaping brighter futures.   Brandon C. Ledward, Ph.D. Born and raised in Kailua, O’ahu (Hawai‘i), Brandon now resides with his wife and three young children in Kapolei. A graduate of the public school system, he went on to earn a MA and PhD in Anthropology at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. As a Principal Strategist in Kamehameha Schools’ Strategy and Experience group, Brandon blends ‘ōiwi (Native Hawaiian) intelligence, systems thinking and foresight to strengthen and advance our lāhui (Native Hawaiian community). He is passionate about culture- and ‘āina-based (land-based) education as well as indigenous approaches to research and evaluation. Brandon relies on his ‘ohana (family), surfing, and music for joy and inspiration. Dr. Palama Lee Pālama is the Director of Research and Evaluation at Lili‘uokalani  Trust, a private operating foundation established by Hawai‘i’s last queen, Lili‘uokalani. His research focuses on wellbeing, illuminating the strengths and assets of Native Hawaiian families and communities. His PhD is in Social Welfare and he is a licensed clinical social worker. Pālama is a lover of Italian Dry Salami, a staunch defender of the conjunction “and”, and most evenings find him nerding out either reading, Netflixing, or gaming.    Nina Murrow. Nina's journey began in Philadelphia, PA, but she now proudly calls Honouliuli, Oʻahu, (Hawaiʻi), her home, where she resides with her husband and two children. With a profound passion for public health, Nina is currently pursuing her Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology and Health Informatics at The George Washington University. In her role as a Clinical Data Analyst at The Queen's Health System, Nina works within the departments of Native Hawaiian Health and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice, & Caregiver Wellness. Her primary focus lies in leveraging clinical and social determinant of health (SDoH) data to address health disparities. Nina's research concentrates on the intersection of Native Hawaiian health, clinical outcomes, SDoH, and epigenetics. Beyond her professional pursuits, Nina finds immense joy in spending quality time with her ʻohana (family), indulging in reading, and exploring her culinary skills through cooking.   Show Notes Lili‘uokalani Trust: https://onipaa.org/ Kamehameha Schools: https://www.ksbe.edu/ The Queen’s Health Systems: https://www.queens.org/ Kūkulu Kumuhana Wellbeing Framework: https://kawaiola.news/mauliola/kukulu-kumuhana-wellbeing-framework/ Results of 2023 Imi Pono Survey: https://www.ksbe.edu/research/imi-pono-hawaii-wellbeing-survey   Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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 

In this episode Gladys gets to know three amazing guests, Olivia Roanhorse, Rebecca Rae, and Daphne Littlebear as they share stories about their evaluation journeys, their work as a team, and an Indigenous evaluation network that they have been nurturing in New Mexico.  Olivia Roanhorse, MPH, COO and Portfolio Lead, Roanhorse Consulting, LLC. Olivia provides leadership and oversight of key policy, research, and evaluation projects. Before joining RCLLC, Olivia was the Vice President of Programs for Notah Begay III Foundation for seven years where she oversaw the strategic and operational responsibilities for all program areas. Before returning to New Mexico in 2012, Olivia held several health program and policy positions in Chicago. She was a Policy Associate at the Ounce of Prevention Fund; a Project Coordinator for RWJF National Project: Finding Answers Program: Disparities Research for Change; and a Clinic Manager for Community Health, the largest free health clinic in Illinois. Olivia has a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Illinois in Chicago and an undergraduate degree from Colorado College. Olivia attended Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health from 2018 to 2021 working on her Doctorate of Public Health. Recognizing that the institution did not value health equity and social justice, she withdrew and decided to instead focus on her lived experiences and the opportunity to co-design meaningful solutions with communities. Olivia is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and lives in Albuquerque, NM.   Rebecca Rae (Jicarilla Apache), MCRP, MWR, is a Research Lecturer III at the University of New Mexico’s College of Population Health. She is an Indigenous scholar and her expertise spans over sixteen years implementing community based participatory research (CBPR) projects and Indigenous participatory evaluation in partnership with Tribal communities. Her primary areas of research include Indigenous research methodologies, prevention/intervention research and Indigenous evaluation. She also has experience in curriculum and program development. She works closely with multiple tribal community partners to mentor, strengthen and enhance community members’ skills in program development, program implementation, data collection, data analysis, grant writing, research, and evaluation. She has served as an evaluator to tribal non-profit organizations, tribal programs, and national foundations. She also has 15 years of experience in Positive Youth Leadership Development, specifically serving as Senior Faculty with the Leadership Institute Summer Policy Academy (LI/SPA), a program that educates Indigenous high-school students on American Indian History, Federal Indian Law, Policy and Advocacy.   Daphne Littlebear is a mother, Indigenous researcher and evaluator, storyteller, educator, and gardener.  Daphne is from Santa Ana Pueblo and a descendant of the Mvskoke, Yuchi, and Shawnee Nations.  For more than 15 years, Daphne has worked in Indigenous education with Tribal education departments, school districts, state government, and nonprofit organizations.  She is dedicated to advocating for educational sovereignty and strengthening Indigenous lifeways.   Currently, Daphne serves as the research and evaluation manager for the National Indian Education Association, a Native-led nonprofit with the mission to advancing comprehensive, cultural-based education for American Indians, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiians.  As a first-generation college graduate, Daphne holds a bachelors in sociology and Native American studies and a master’s in public administration from the University of New Mexico. Presently, she is completing her doctoral degree at Arizona State University, where she is studying Indigenous education, social justice education and educational policy.  Daphne was admitted into the Tribal Data Fellows Program with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and upon completion joined the NM Indigenous Evaluators Network. She has also been awarded a fellowship through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network, that supports local leaders to connect, grow, and lead transformational change toward a more equitable society.     Notes   Becca Rae, faculty page: https://hsc.unm.edu/directory/rae-rebecca.html   National Indian Education Association: https://www.niea.org/   Roanhorse Consulting: https://roanhorseconsulting.com/olivia   Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation: https://nb3foundation.org/about/   McNair program: https://mcnairscholars.com/about/   Tribal Data Champions Fellowship: https://usindigenousdatanetwork.org/2024/02/13/tribal-data-champions-fellowship-an-indigenous-evaluation-training/   Indigenizing Education: Transformative Research, Theories, and Praxis. 2022. Eds. Jeremy Garcia, Valerie Shirley, and Hollie Kulago. Information Age Publishing. https://books.google.ca/books/about/Indigenizing_Education.html?id=MW-zzgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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 

In this final episode of the special season that has focused on the arts and arts based practices in evaluation, Gladys reflects on the learnings she has gathered from the stories shared and on an inspiring exhibit from her recent visit to the Tate Modern in London.  From this episode: About Richard Wagamese's Medicine Walk (2014). https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-friday-edition-1.5260084/as-it-happened-the-archive-edition-richard-wagamese-on-his-2014-novel-medicine-walk-1.5230835  About Thamesmead Codex: https://hyperallergic.com/805326/diary-of-a-british-town-thamesmead-codex/ Leanne Simpson, As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance: https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517903879/as-we-have-always-done/ These episodes in Season 2 have been made possible through support from Canada Council for the Arts. I am grateful for their support!  Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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 

In this episode we learn more about multidisciplinary artist Mi’gmaq artist and storyteller Brandon Mitchell from Listuguj First Nation. Dive into Brandon’s journey from childhood stories to a career in graphic novels and animation, and how he now empowers others to tell their own stories. Explore the intersection of art, culture, and evaluation in this inspiring conversation.   Brandon Mitchell is Mi’gmaq from Listuguj First Nations in Quebec and currently resides in the unceded Wolastoqiyik Peace and Friendship Treaty territory of Fredericton, New Brunswick. He is a husband to Natasha Martin and father to Brayden and Bryce Mitchell. He carries a diploma in animation and design from the New Brunswick Community College of Miramichi and a master’s degree in education from the University of New Brunswick. He is a multidisciplinary artist with over 20 years of experience in the field of graphic novels, gaming, and animation. For the past four years he has applied his craft of storytelling in the role of Learning Facilitator at the Ulnooweg Indigenous Communities Foundation.   Resources from Episode: HighWater Press (books available for purchase): https://www.portageandmainpress.com/Contributors/M/Mitchell-Brandon Brandon Mitchell’s comics homepage: https://birchbarkcomics.com/ Ulnooweg Indigenous Communities Foundation: https://ulnoowegfoundation.ca/ Indigenous Story Studio (previously Aboriginal Health Network): https://istorystudio.com/about-us/ Nigweg Collective: https://www.nigwegcollective.com/ The transcript from this episode can be found here. These episodes in Season 2 have been made possible through support from Canada Council for the Arts. I am grateful for their support!  Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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

Dr. Cathy Mattes is a Michif curator (MMF citizen, Westman Local-Southwest Region), writer, and art history professor based out of Sprucewoods, Manitoba, Canada. Her curation, research and writing centers on dialogic and Indigenous knowledge-centered curatorial practice as strategies for care. She has a PhD in Indigenous Studies from the University of Manitoba, and currently teaches at the University of Winnipeg in the History of Art and Curatorial Studies programs. Mattes has been beading since she was 20 years old, when she was first taught by her auntie Jean Baron Ward.  Since then, she has taught beading and moccasin-making in workshops, university courses, and around her kitchen table with family and friends.   Resources from this episode Rielisms: Used copies of the catalogue are available online. See also https://www.reginalibrary.ca/dunlop-art-gallery/browse-exhibitions/108573 and this review: https://www.cliffeyland.com/riel.html   Hard Birth: https://www.wag.ca/exhibitions/kwaata-nihtaawakihk/   Radical Stitch: https://www.gallery.ca/whats-on/exhibitions-and-galleries/radical-stitch   The transcript from this episode can be found here. These episodes in Season 2 have been made possible through support from Canada Council for the Arts. I am grateful for their support!  Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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

In this episode Gladys sits down with Michael Lawrenchuk, who is not only her dad, but a prophetic storyteller who has greatly influenced her passion for the arts. He speaks to the role of theatre in his own healing journey and the power of storytelling.   Michael Lawrenchuk has been involved in theatre, film and television as an actor, director and writer since 1991. Michael is a graduate of the UofW's Honour's Acting Program. He has pursued his post grad studies at the London Theatre School, is an alumnus of the University of Exeter, Staging Shakespeare and a 2014 Fellow of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London. He is a former Chief of the Fox Lake Cree Nation.   For more on Michael’s theatre work check out: The Comeback: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2024/04/26/laughing-through-familial-colonial-conflicts The Gravedigger: https://www.facebook.com/TheGravediggerwpg/  Othello: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/2009/05/30/bards-tragedy-staged-with-wit-and-skill  Indian Horse: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/movies/2018/04/12/gillam-actor-brings-warmth-to-indian-horse  Fabric of the Sky: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/fabric-of-the-sky-a-powerful-residential-school-survivor-s-story-1.2852420  Interview: Indigenous languages on stage: https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/tric/article/view/25898/30080    The transcript from this episode can be found here. These episodes in Season 2 have been made possible through support from Canada Council for the Arts. I am grateful for their support!  Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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 

In this episode Tiffany shares her journey to develop an Indigenous beadwork methodology, how beading shows up in her work, and the stories she has witnessed as a community embedded scholar.  CW: Discussion of Indian Residential Schools   Bio Dr. Tiffany Prete is a member of the Kainai (Blood Tribe) of the Siksikasitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy), located in the Treaty 7 area. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Lethbridge. Her program of work consists of implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action on the Blood Reserve.    Dr. Prete’s background is in educational policy studies, specializing in Indigenous Peoples education.She completed her master's of education and doctor of philosophy in education at the University of Alberta.    Her area of expertise includes: Indigenous secondary retention rates within the public school system, Blackfoot historical research, impacts of colonization, intergenerational trauma, and Indigenous research methodologies. In her spare time, she is a Native American beadwork enthusiast, and published a research paradigm grounded in an Indigenous worldview that is guided by Native American beadwork.   Resources from this episode Prete, T. D. (2019). Beadworking as an Indigenous Research Paradigm. Art/Research International: A Transdisciplinary Journal, 4(1), 28–57. https://doi.org/10.18432/ari29419 Prete, T. (guest curator). (23 Sept 2023 – 3 Mar 2024). Stolen Kainai Children: Stories of Survival. Galt Museum & Archives. Lethbridge, AB. https://www.galtmuseum.com/exhibit/2stolen-kainai-children-stories-of-survival Walter, M. and Andersen, C. (2013). Indigenous Statistics: A Quantitative Research Methodology. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Indigenous-Statistics-A-Quantitative-Research-Methodology/Walter-Andersen/p/book/9781611322934   The transcript from this episode can be found here. These episodes in Season 2 have been made possible through support from Canada Council for the Arts. I am grateful for their support!  Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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 

In this episode Linda and Larry share stories from over four decades of research and evaluation using arts-based methods of engagement. They discuss the many meaningful and authentic ways they have used to approach people in their evaluation projects including drawing, photographs, collage, and poetry. They urge evaluators to consider how we might change how we listen to and tell stories in our work.  Larry & Linda wrote a blog post last year for Footprint Evaluation you can find it here: Knowing place through story - Blog post on Better Evaluation   Linda Lee is a passionate advocate for using evaluation to create a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable world, is Vice-President and Partner in a Canadian evaluation and social research company Proactive Information Services Inc. A Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) Award winner and Fellow (FCES), Linda has worked in evaluation and research for 40+ years. She has been a keynote speaker, presented papers and facilitated workshops at many national and international conferences. She has conducted evaluations across Canada and internationally, including many countries in East Central and Southeastern Europe, as well as Argentina and Lithuania. Linda, a former CES National President, has served on the CES Credentialing Board, the Fellows’ Executive, and was a founder of the original CES Diversity Equity and Inclusion Working Group. She was a member of the CE Competencies Review Working Group which was tasked with revising and updating the Competencies for Canadian Evaluation Practice in 2017/18.    Larry K. Bremner, CE FCES (Métis) has worked in social research and evaluation for 45+ years. He is recognized for his depth of knowledge and his willingness to share his knowledge, particularly in the areas of Indigenous and decolonizing approaches to evaluation including the use of storytelling. In 2012, Larry was elected National President of the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES). As Past President, he represented CES on the international stage where he was the driving force behind the creation of the global EvalPartners’ network EvalIndigenous.    In 2017, Larry received the CES Service Award and in 2018 the Contribution to Evaluation in Canada Award. In 2019, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Evaluation Society (FCES), the Society’s highest honour. Larry is also co-editor of the new permanent section of the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, Roots and Relations: Celebrating Good Medicine in Indigenous Evaluation. As evaluators, Larry believes we are compelled to expand our future to one that is inclusive in terms of both voices and approaches, if we are to support reconciliation and address the crucial social, environmental, and economic issues that we face in today’s world.    Resources from this episode Simon Hodges. 21 Jan. 2014. What's so special about storytelling for social change? Open Democracy.https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transformation/whats-so-special-about-storytelling-for-social-change/  Ben Okri – A Way of Being Free Shawn Wilson. 2008. Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods. Fernwood Publishing. The transcript from this episode can be found here. These episodes in Season 2 have been made possible through support from Canada Council for the Arts. I am grateful for their support!  Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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

In this episode Gladys and Terrellyn talk about storytelling as methodology and worldview, songs in evaluation, accountabilities of evaluators, building a canoe in a learning journey, and Metuaptmumk. It’s a full and spirit filled conversation that we hope will nourish you, and inspire you to consider arts-based methods in your evaluation and everyday practices.  Terrellyn Fearn is an Indigenous scholar-practitioner. She is Mi'kmaq, Snake clan from Glooscap First Nation and a citizen of the Wabanaki Confederacy. Terrellyn is the Project Director of Turtle Island Institute, a global Indigenous social innovation think and do tank (a learning lodge) grounded in Metuaptmumk: All Around Seeing, a uniquely Indigenous approach to wholistic human development and systems transformation. Her work spans 30 years exploring the human dimensions of transformative change where systems science, arts and the sacred meet by amplifying Ancestral languages, ancient wisdom traditions and Indigenous sciences. She is a Research Associate with the Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation & Resilience and holds a Masters degree in Education. She has worked with over 350 Indigenous communities across Turtle Island (North America) to advance wellbeing and create communities of practice dedicated to social change and heart centered leadership. Terrellyn is a mother and believes large-scale systemic change begins through restoring the sacred feminine and reawakening the human Spirit by connecting to self, each other, our Earth Mother and all of Creation.   These episodes in Season 2 have been made possible through support from Canada Council for the Arts. I am grateful for their support!  Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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

In this episode Gladys sits in conversation with Jennica Nichols and Maya Lefkowich of AND Implementation. Jennica and Maya talk about their own evaluation origin stories and everything arts-based evaluation! The conversation meanders through the excitement, cautions, and learnings on their professional journey with arts-based practices and methods in evaluation. We talk about creating intentional moments of reflection, creativity, joy, and story and close our time together by creating a collective found poem, of course! Jennica was born and raised in Southern Ontario and is of European descent. She comes to evaluation from biology and public health research. Jennica is passionate about increasing research and evaluation relevance and use by changing who leads and benefits from the process. Use, respect, and thoughtfulness are core values that guide her work. Jennica helps clients with meaningful measurement, evaluative thinking, and creative problem-solving. Beyond evaluation, she is a scuba diver always looking for a good hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Check out Jennica's found poem from the episode...   What is possible? Arts-based methods are intentional, relational.   There is power in softness. It has to have roots in something. Grounding in values and deep breaths We are all messy weirdos   Disrupting. Transforming. Building new relationships with knowledge generation. Without a blueprint [but] a dream It’s an evaluation love story. More magic please. Jennica Nichols    Maya was born in Toronto Ontario and is of Jewish and Eastern European descent. She comes to evaluation from health research. Maya is passionate about transformative, community-led, and strengths-based approaches that promote equity in research and evaluation. Creativity, justice, and integrity are core values that guide her work. Maya helps clients tell meaningful stories about learning, growth, and impact. Beyond evaluation, she is a potter and creative writer always excited to read about an unlikely friendship blossoming during a misadventure. Check out Maya's found poem from the episode...   What if What if “possible” informs We don’t need to talk about arts as different Grounded in values, worldviews Not the tools in the toolbox, but you You using the tools   If the goal is to build joy and community It makes me excited The fundamental conversations that need to happen If it’s on the page, we can deal with it That’s where the magic comes from Passion   Maya Lefkowich  Resources from this episode Free Resources on Arts-Based Methods Stories: https://www.andimplementation.ca/resources/categories/arts-based-methods    These episodes in Season 2 have been made possible through support from Canada Council for the Arts. I am grateful for their support!  Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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

In this first episode for a special Season 2, Gladys shares what she has been up to, the stories that provide direction in her life, and what listeners can expect in the next episodes. She recounts the power and necessity of story to hold a space for Indigenous resurgence and decolonial futures and shares some poetry - because that’s what she loves to do!  Resources from this episode Resurgence of Indigenous Nationhood: Centering the stories of Indigenous full spectrum doulas: https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/handle/1993/35171    Dr. Kathy Absolon: Kaandossiwin, 2nd Edition: How We Come to Know: Indigenous Re-Search Methodologies: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/kaandossiwin-2nd-ed    Quotes from Dr. Warren Cariou and Dr. Neal McLeod: https://www.wlupress.wlu.ca/Books/I/Indigenous-Poetics-in-Canada    Dr. Leanne Simpson: https://www.leannesimpson.ca/book/as-we-have-always-done  A transcript of this episode can be found here. These episodes in Season 2 have been made possible through support from Canada Council for the Arts. I am grateful for their support!  Email: [email protected]  To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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 

In this final episode Gladys reflects on the first season of Indigenous Insights and shares her understandings of Indigenous evaluation and why it is a critical mechanism for decolonial futures. And, as a sneak peak into the fun of Season Two, Gladys invites listeners into a space of reflection and poetry creation to think about (and feel into) what they have learned/unlearned throughout the journey of this first season. Please feel free to share your poem/creation once you make your way through the episode by emailing Gladys at [email protected]  Watch for Season Two coming Spring 2024. To be added to the mailing list when this is announced please send an email with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE to: [email protected]    The episode transcript can be found here. For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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   

Sam Bird is a citizen of Peguis First Nation, currently residing in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She is a Program Partner at the Mastercard Foundation, Canada Programs, with a focus on Youth Engagement. She’s passionate about creating systems change for Indigenous young people. Outside of work she loves to enjoy all that northwestern Ontario has to offer when it comes to hiking, canoeing, and skiing. Sam is also an emerging writer, with work included in the newly released Carving Space: The Indigenous Voices Awards Anthology. Sam is the host of Young People Know, a five-part podcast series featuring the voices and experiences of young Indigenous leaders. The podcast explores the principles of effective, meaningful, and genuine youth engagement. In conversation with Indigenous young people from across Canada, the series shares the challenges, benefits, and opportunities they face in serving on advisory councils while working to create transformative change that embeds Indigenous values, priorities and protocols into the organizations and systems that affect their lives.   Resources from this episode: Young People Know Podcast Series   The transcript for this episode can be found here. For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  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   

Dr. Karen Alexander is Ojibwe from the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She is the proud mother of four and grandmother of five. Karen’s culture as an Indigenous person is most important to her and she passes down her knowledge about how to live life ‘in a good way’ to her children and grandchildren. She has always strived to help other Indigenous people to heal and has been an addictions counselor and clinical social worker, as well as an evaluator and a researcher. Karen is most interested in making sure that Native people have programs, services, and evaluation that is appropriate to their culture. Karen’s dissertation examines the values that make us who we are as Indigenous people and the benefit of the inclusion of those values in evaluation. Most of all, Karen hopes that her research will help others to know ‘who we are’ on a deeper level.   Resources from this episode: Exploring the Use of Cultural Values in the Evaluation of Programs with Native American Tribes   The transcript from this episode can be found here.   For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please leave a five star review and/or visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod 

January O’Connor currently lives in Anchorage, Alaska. January is Tlingit and is Alaskan born and raised in Kake, Alaska. She possesses a Masters in the Arts of Teaching from the University of Southeast and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Reed College in Portland, Oregon and is a current PhD student in University of Alaska Fairbank’s Indigenous Studies program. In her Indigenous Studies PhD, January will research indigenous evaluation. Her secondary research passion and interest is indigenized education in secondary and post-secondary environments.   She is also a Founding Director of Raven’s Group LLC, a consulting group that provides services in program planning and design, grant writing, education and youth programming, and evaluation for educational programs that focus on Rural and Alaska Native youth and students.    In addition to bringing her educational and lived Alaskan and Alaska Native experience to her evaluation and research practices, she has 15 years’ experience leading and developing youth programming that is culturally responsive and based on positive youth development guided by research. Resources from this episode: Indigenous Peoples in Evaluation Topical Interest Group, American Evaluation Association.  Ravens Group LLC https://www.ravensgroupak.com/ University of Alaska Fairbanks Indigenous Studies https://www.uaf.edu/indigenous/  The episode transcript can be found here. For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please leave a five star review and/or visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod 

Dr. Myra Parker is an enrolled member of the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes and serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is currently the Director of Seven Directions which is housed in the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors within the Department of Psychiatry.   Dr. Danielle Eakins is a licensed clinical psychologist and a research scientist at Seven Directions. Danielle is dedicated to supporting behavioral wellness through collaborative, strengths-based partnerships with Indigenous communities.    Resources from this episode: Indigenous Evaluation Toolkit: An Actionable Guide for Organizations Serving American Indian / Alaska Native Communities through Opioid Prevention Programming The transcript from this episode can be found here. For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod 

Caroline Davis is Diné (or Navajo) originally from the Navajo Nation in Arizona. Born and raised on the reservation, she has first hand knowledge that drove her passion to work in the field of public health. Tailoring her career specifically to Indigenous Populations she found her niche in evaluation work, and considers herself an advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous research and evaluation methods in any work with all communities but specifically Indigenous communities. She currently lives in Southern New Mexico with her husband and 3 children and works as a research director for an evaluation consulting group.    Resources from the episode Tribal Early Childhood Research Center The episode transcript can be found here. For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please leave a five star review and/or visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod 

Dr. Melissa Tremblay is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta . She is a Métis scholar, born and raised in rural Alberta. Melissa has a background in program evaluation, project management, children’s mental health, and working with Indigenous children and families using community-grounded methods. Melissa has worked in the field of evaluation for over ten years, and maintains a private evaluation practice. Her research and clinical background is focused on children’s mental health and working with Indigenous children and families from a strength-based perspective. Her research interests are primarily focused on exploring the development, resilience, and mental health of Indigenous children, youth, and families, as well as the use of arts-based methods with diverse populations. Melissa’s research takes a relational, community-based participatory approach and has allowed her the privilege of working in partnership with Indigenous peoples, communities, schools, and agencies across the country.   Resources from this Episode    Dissertation: Understanding the Experiences and Characteristics of Teen Families Involved in a Supportive Housing Program The episode transcript can be found here.  For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/    If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod 

Marissa Hill is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. She was born and raised in the Georgian Bay Métis Community, and has been a guest in Tkaronto since 2010. Marissa is rooted in rematriation and a reclamation of ancestral ways of knowing and being, and everything she does flows from here. Marissa is dedicated to transforming the systems and infrastructure that shape our holistic wellbeing using approaches that are rooted in community, equity, inclusion, love, dignity, and respect.    Marissa has extensive experience in program, project, and operations management. Most recently, she managed an innovation lab – the Indigenous Innovation Initiative hosted by Grand Challenges Canada –  that supports First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women, Two Spirit, queer, trans, non-binary, and gender diverse people to bring their solutions to life, and was the community engagement and co-creation lead. Marissa joined Health Commons Solutions Lab in October 2022 as the Director of Operations and Strategy, while also supporting the organization to create space for exploring innovation within the context of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.    Outside of Health Commons, Marissa is leading and supporting work in the areas of Indigenous evaluation, impact measurement and storytelling, and data sovereignty. This includes being a partner in enabling inclusion and transformed practice within the British Columbia chapter of the Canadian Evaluation Society; a member of the inaugural City of Toronto First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Data and Technology Advisory Circle; and a member of the Advisory Council for Common Approach (a leader in impact measurement).    Resources from this episode  Inquiry & Learning Bundle Indigenous Knowledges and Data Governance Protocols Shared Values and Principles of Indigenous Knowledges Creation and Application   Transcript from this episode can be found here. For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod 

Vanessa Nevin is the Director of Health at the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Secretariat and comes from Sipekne’katik First Nation within Mi’kmaki. Vanessa has worked for APC for nearly 14 years on Health, Indian Residential School, Elections, and Social. She also has extensive experience working with First Nations communities and organizations including Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centre, North American Indigenous Games, and Victoria Native Friendship Centre. Vanessa also completed contracts with the Aboriginal Healing Foundation to review/arbitrate proposals and University of Victoria Law School to research on First Nations’ alternative justice programs throughout the province of British Columbia.   Vanessa obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in History and minor in Greek and Roman Studies from the University of Victoria, and completed graduate courses for Royal Roads University’s Master’s of Art program for Conflict Analysis and management. She also has a Royal Roads University certificate in Negotiations, and an Aboriginal Trauma Certificate from the Justice Institute of British Columbia. Transcript from this episode can be found here. For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod

Aneta Cram is a doctoral candidate with the School of Health at the Victoria University of Wellington in Aotearoa. Her doctoral research explores what Indigenous evaluation frameworks currently exist, how they were developed and the impact that they are having with the communities that they were developed for in order to provide guidance to support other Indigenous communities in developing their own community-specific evaluation frameworks.   Resources from the episode Te Korekoreka (Kai Tahu, Aotearoa New Zealand) : https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f1e3bad68df2a40e2e0baaa/t/619d4459f54f7b340d282557/1637696631217/KIATIPUTEAOMARAMA_24November2021_LabTSITTR.pdf   Ngaa bi nya (Australia): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1035719X18760141?journalCode=evja   The Evaluation with Aloha Framework: https://www.creahawaii.org/aloha   Na-gah mo Waasbishkizi Bimise Keetwaatino bundle: https://policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/na-gah-mo-waasbishkizi-ojijaak-bimise-keetwaatino-singing-white-crane-flying   Nan's article: https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjpe/article/view/68444   Hot tips: Being a good guest in different cultural spaces.    Transcript from this episode can be found here. For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod

Dr. Kim van der Woerd is the Lead for Strategy and Relations at Reciprocal Consulting, a firm co-owned by four Indigenous women and founded in 2003.   Kim is a proud member of the ‘Namgis (Numgees) Nation, and completed her PhD in Psychology at Simon Fraser University (SFU). Her dissertation research focused on a comprehensive participatory evaluation of a Federally funded First Nations substance abuse treatment centre. Kim has over 25 years of experience conducting local, provincial and national program evaluations, and research. Kim has received many accolades for her outstanding work including the BC Community Achievement Award and the The Mitchell Award from the BC Achievement Foundation in 2018, a Contribution to Evaluation in Canada Award from the Canadian Evaluation Society in 2014, and the Michael Scriven Dissertation Award for Outstanding Contribution to Evaluation Theory, Methodology or Practice in 2007.    Resources from this episode:   Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. (2nd Ed.). Zed Books.   Shawn Wilson’s Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods. Fernwood Publishing.   Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge And The Teachings Of Plants. Milkwood Editions.   Monique Gray Smith’s adaptation, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Zest Books.   Transcript from this episode can be found here.    For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/    If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod 

Abigail Echo-Hawk, MA, is an enrolled citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. She was born in the heart of Alaska where she was raised in the traditional values of giving, respect for all, and love.   Abigail is an auntie, sister, mother, daughter, granddaughter, and a community member who works toward building a great future for the next generations. She serves her community as the Director of Urban Indian Health Institute and Executive Vice President of Seattle Indian Health Board where she works locally to provide public health services to the Seattle Urban Native community and nationally  to engage community partners, conduct research and evaluation, and build capacity for Native organizations.   Resources from the episode    UIHI Indigenous Evaluation Resources: https://www.uihi.org/projects/indigenous-evaluation/    Measuring Love in the Journey for Justice: A Brown Paper (Shiree Teng & Sammy Nuñez) https://latinocf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Shiree-Teng-Measuring-Love.pdf    Malia Villegas: #lovemore Malia Villegas: A roadmap for collaborative and effective evaluation in Tribal communities Building the Sacred: An Indigenous Evaluation Framework for Programs Serving Native Survivors of Violence https://www.uihi.org/resources/building-the-sacred-an-indigenous-evaluation-framework-for-programs-serving-native-survivors-of-violence/   Transcript from this episode can be found here. For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/    If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod 

Dr. Melanie Nadeau, aka Dr. Mel, is an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in Belcourt, North Dakota.  She completed both her Master’s in Public Health in community health education with a concentration in health disparities and her PhD in social/behavioral epidemiology at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Dr. Nadeau is a community engaged scholar and has worked more than 18 years on various research and evaluation projects within the American Indian community. She has successfully engaged a multitude of tribal health stakeholders from across the nation and is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Native communities.  Dr. Mel currently serves as Graduate Program Director and Assistant Professor for the Indigenous Health PhD program housed within the Department of Indigenous Health at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Dr. Mel also serves on the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Research Review Board, the American Public Health Association’s American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian board, and as program co-chair for the American Evaluation Association Indigenous Peoples in Evaluation Topical Interest Group.    Resources from the episode Dr. Melanie Nadeau’s University of North Dakota Directory Page including her biography, digital stories about my educational journey, contact information, curriculum vitae, websites, courses, research/areas of interest, publications/presentations and stories featuring her work in the media.  Indigenous Evaluation Framework by Dr. Joan LaFrance and Richard Nichols.  American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). 2009.  Here is the link to the AIHEC website that includes a link to Document Collections and Document Libraries .  A Framework for Evaluation. CDC. 1999.    The show transcript is available here.   For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/    If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod 

Terrellyn Fearn is the Project Director of Turtle Island Institute, a global Indigenous social innovation think and do tank - a teaching lodge enabling transformative change. She brings wisdom and understanding of Indigenous well-being and community building through rematriation and Indigenous ways of knowing. Terrellyn’s work over the last 30 years has focused on advancing social justice and systems change in the area of health, gender-based violence, education, and child welfare having worked with over 400 rural and urban Indigenous communities throughout Turtle Island.   In 2017, she was the Director of Outreach and Support Services for the Canadian National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and led a 2.5 year process for family members and survivors of violence to share their truth. She is a MEd. candidate at York University and a Research Associate at the Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation & Resilience (WISIR) focusing on understanding complexity theory, ethical space of engagement, Indigenous feminism, and healing centered design. She sits on the Indigenous Advisory Circle for the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime focused on the decolonization of the Canadian criminal justice system.   Questions reflected in the episode include what can an understanding and relationship with Indigenous languages offer evaluation and inquiry? What is the opportunity of Etawaptmumk and how can we go deeper into the language and practices to learn about learning and reflection. How can we tell the stories of impact in ways that align with this journey? Resources from the episode More about Two-Eyed Seeing: http://www.integrativescience.ca/Principles/TwoEyedSeeing/ Article: Willie Ermine: Ethical Space of Engagement. Photos from Terrellyn Fearn including 8-point star petroglyph, ribbon skirts, and bundle blanket Join Turtle Island Institute Virtual Teaching Lodge  https://turtle-island-lodge.mn.co/share/SlH9yMlZxJZkXeCd   For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/    If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod 

Terrellyn Fearn is the Project Director of Turtle Island Institute, a global Indigenous social innovation think and do tank - a teaching lodge enabling transformative change. She brings wisdom and understanding of Indigenous well-being and community building through rematriation and Indigenous ways of knowing. Terrellyn’s work over the last 30 years has focused on advancing social justice and systems change in the area of health, gender-based violence, education, and child welfare having worked with over 400 rural and urban Indigenous communities throughout Turtle Island.   In 2017, she was the Director of Outreach and Support Services for the Canadian National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and led a 2.5 year process for family members and survivors of violence to share their truth. She is a MEd. candidate at York University and a Research Associate at the Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation & Resilience (WISIR) focusing on understanding complexity theory, ethical space of engagement, Indigenous feminism, and healing centered design. She sits on the Indigenous Advisory Circle for the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime focused on the decolonization of the Canadian criminal justice system.   Resources from the episode   Join Turtle Island Institute Virtual Teaching Lodge  https://turtle-island-lodge.mn.co/share/SlH9yMlZxJZkXeCd   Care and Systems Change Dialogues  https://youtube.com/@turtleislandinstitute-indi6341   National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls final report  https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/   For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod

Dr. Nicole Bowman is President of Bowman Performance Consulting and an Associate Scientist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is an Associate Editor and co-founder of Roots and Relations, a permanent section in the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. In 2018, Dr. Bowman received American Evaluation Association’s 2018 Robert Ingle Service Award, and was notably the youngest and first Indigenous awardee. She has served decades as chair or co-chair of AEA’s Indigenous Peoples in Evaluation Topical Interest Group, in addition to participating in numerous global evaluation initiatives. She is a curious, creative, and courageous innovator whose academic lodge sits at the place where traditional knowledge and Tribal sovereignty intersect with evaluation, policy and research.    Resources from this episode   Resource: BPC Academic Lodge  Book Chapter: Culturally Responsive Indigenous Evaluation (2015) Open Access Article: Looking Backward but Moving Forward: Honoring the Sacred and Asserting the Sovereign in Indigenous Evaluation   The show transcript is available here.  If you are enjoying the episodes, please consider supporting the sustainability of this podcast through Buy Me a Coffee.

Dr. JoLee Sasakamoose Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) is a member of the M'Chigeeng First Nation in Ontario and an active citizen of the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. She is an Associate Professor in Educational Psychology and Counselling at the University of Regina. In collaboration with the First Nations communities of Saskatchewan, she co-authored the Indigenous Cultural Responsiveness Theory (ICRT), now known as the CRF, a theoretical framework to direct research that improves the health of Indigenous peoples in Saskatchewan. Dr. JoLee is the Wellness and Research Director of the Muskiki Muskwa Medicine Bear Healing Lodge and Peer Advocacy Services, part of the Indigenous Wellness Research Community Network (IWRCN). Dr. Sasakamoose is an Indigenous methodologist utilizing community and participatory-based research approaches with FN communities and peoples.  From a strengths-based, trauma informed decolonizing lens, her research engages Indigenous peoples in defining health and healthy communities; explores the intergenerational effects of historical trauma and traditional healing methods as protective factors with Indigenous peoples; utilizes neurodecolonization, contemplative mind body practices and Sîtoskâkewin© expressive therapies in the promotion of health and wellbeing.     Resources from the episode: Project: nato’ we ho win. https://pathssk.org/natowehowin/ The website has multiple reports, presentations, and videos about the work and what is being learned as a result.    Book: Indigenous Methodologies: Characteristics, Conversations, and Contexts, Second Edition, Dr. Margaret Kovach. https://utorontopress.com/9781487525644/indigenous-methodologies/    Article: Reflexive Reflection Co-created with Kehte-ayak (Old Ones) as an Indigenous Qualitative Methodological Data Contemplation Tool.  https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijih/article/view/33906    Article: Miýo-pimātisiwin Developing Indigenous Cultural Responsiveness Theory (ICRT): Improving Indigenous Health and Well-Being.  https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/iipj/article/view/7527    Article: Indigenous Birth Support Worker (IBSW) Program Evaluation: A Qualitative Analysis of Program Workers and Clients’ Perspectives. https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-2082644/v1     The show transcript is available here. For more visit: https://gladysrowe.com/category/indigenousinsights/  If you are loving this podcast and would like to offer support please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/InsightsPod