Indigenous Insights: An Evaluation Podcast

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 i...

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 Univers...

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...

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 pro...

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 wo...

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 s...

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 intentiona...

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...

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 journ...

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...

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 addiction...

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, Janua...

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 psy...

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 me...

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...

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 u...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 a...

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 sys...

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 sys...

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 firs...

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 (...