Indigenous Insights: An Evaluation Podcast

Available Episodes

5 of 42

S04E01: Living in Indigenous Sovereignty with Dr. Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara
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
--------
42:03
--------
42:03
S03E10: Reflections on Season 3 with Gladys Rowe
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
--------
13:03
--------
13:03
S03E09: We’ve Always Had Tools: Anishinaabe approaches to evaluation at Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming
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
--------
45:04
--------
45:04
S03E08: Kinship, Mentorship, and Culturally Responsive Evaluation: Carolee Dodge Francis, Joseph Jean & Linnea Hjelm
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
--------
41:16
--------
41:16
S03E07: Transforming Indigenous Research and Evaluation with An Garagiola
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.
--------
33:16
--------
33:16