​It was a wonderful experience taking part in the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) Conference 2024 held in the beautiful city of Fredericton that boasts of the nick-name Eqpahak. The Maliseet word 'Eqpahak' means 'the place where the tide stops.’ The Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) who are the indigenous peoples in Canada stay along the Saint John River Valley, which goes by the name Wolastoq, meaning “the beautiful and bounteous river” in the Maliseet language, while Wolastoqiyik means “the People of the Beautiful River”. The Wolastoqey Nation are members of the Wabanaki Confederacy, (People of the Dawn). It was great learning all this beautiful history so as to be able to derive similarities with the histories of the indigenous people of Africa.

This was my fifth visit to Canada and each time I’m mesmerised by the acknowledgment of the owners of the lands on which events take place. I have been to Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver, Quebec City and this time round in Fredericton, the capital city of the Canadian Province of New Brunswick. Before the start of every speech or event, the speakers had to acknowledge the owners of the land. In her opening greetings to the participants to the Conference, Andrealisa Belzer, the President of CES had this to say:
“The Canadian Evaluation Society is grateful to Sakom (Chief) Polchies of Sitansik (St. Mary’s First Nation) for welcoming us to convene in Eqpahak (Fredericton) on the beautiful and bountiful Wolastoq (St. John`s) river on the traditional lands of the Maliseet-Passamaquoddy speaking peoples of the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) and Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy) Communities. We acknowledge that this territory, and all of New Brunswick, are covered by Peace and Friendship Treaties which recognized Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet), Mi’kmaq and Passamaquoddy title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations.”

​It was worth noting that the President of CES, Andrealisa Belzer, who incidentally works for Indigenous Services Canada, has been at the forefront in working for a close collaboration with indigenous Canadians and the global indigenous community, which has seen a working relationship between the CES and the EvalIndigenous Global Network. The first of such was seen in Halifax, Nova Scotia during a CES Conference in 2019 and this had gained momentum to the climax at the Fredericton event.

As a pre-conference event, EvalIndigenous and CES organised an Indigenous event that started with the indigenous healing experience of the ‘Sweat Lodge’ which was held at the St. Mary’s First Nation and conducted by Chris Brooks. This was a wonderful endurance and healing experience that made one literally connect with the Creator and the Earth. At one of the endurance sessions, I was overwhelmed and had to ask to be allowed out briefly. But this was certainly an experience never to be forgotten.

On Sunday, 5 May 2024, being the second day of the pre-Conference was a mix of activities, starting with an EvaIndigenous gathering to share some of the works done by the Network through the support of Ford Foundation among others. The next activity was a match of the global indigenous community in solidarity with the indigenous Canadians, to celebrate the Red Dress Day in commemoration of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and to create space for their loved ones to heal, with a message of ‘Missing but never forgotten’ and with an overall call for the provincial and federal governments to provide more support for First Nations banishing individuals.

​I was privileged to be part of this historic event, with the match from the Legislature of Fredericton to the Hidden Burial Ground which marked the climax of the event. The Sakom (Chief) Allan Polchies Jr., Chief of St. Mary's First Nation and one of the six Wolastoqey chiefs had this to say: “We no longer need a Band-Aid. We need a solution, we need legislation, and we need a law. That's what we need as Indigenous people.” The Conference was officially opened on the evening of Sunday 5 May 2024, with an opening reception addressed by the leadership of CES as well as the Sakom (Chief) himself, Allan Polchies Jr.

​On Monday, 6 May 2024, having been inspired by the Sweat Lodge experience, I made a presentation dubbed: “The Knots that Bind Us Together… The Confluencing Value in Evaluation Practice: Lessons Learned from the Wolastoqey Sweat Lodge Ceremony.” In my presentation, I highlighted the key similarities between the Canadian Sweat Lodge experience and the indigenous African similar healing experience. Of importance, the following stood out:

1. Attachment to the Land
2. The Place of Mother Earth
3. The Place of the Sun
4. The Role of Fire and Sacrifice; and
5. The Role of Water

 The key messages that I learned from this experience included among others, the interconnectedness of traditional arts, culture, spirituality, and healing. The sweat lodge experience was deeply rooted in spirituality which was an integral part of the healing process. I also learned about the importance of community and shared experience in healing. The sweat lodge ceremony was conducted in an enclosed circle, emphasising the unity and support of the group. Each participant shared their experiences in turns amid chants from the religious leader and others who were certainly ‘possessed by the powers’. Another learning point was the significance of natural elements like fire, water, and herbs in indigenous healing practices. The sweat lodge process involved using heated rocks, water, and herbs like sage and sweetgrass to create steam and facilitate spiritual cleansing and purification. Overall, I derived a lot of similarity between this experience with the indigenous African healing ceremonies, specifically the central role of spirituality, community, and natural elements in the healing process. Both traditions view health holistically, encompassing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. In both cases, the ceremonies are conducted by elders or healers, use of herbs and natural materials, and their emphasis on group support.

On Tuesday, 7 May 2024, I made a presentation on: “Global Perspective of Indigenous EvaluationPractice: Lessons Learned from the Kenyan Experience”, in which I shared some of the work that I have done as part of EvalIndigenous funded activities. These were:

1. The development of the Indigenous African Ethical Protocol for Evaluations
2. Implementation of the Indigenous African Voices from Kenya: The Mijikenda of Kwale County in Kenya 
3. Researching Indigeneity and Decolonising Evaluation: Activities to Enhance the Cultural Responsiveness of Evaluation, touching on the indigenous Ogiek community of Mariashoni in Molo, Kenya and the Mijikenda of Kilifi County. 

My concluding remarks and the way forward were a call to action for the global indigenous evaluation community to appreciate what has been done but again try to see how indigenous evaluation practices can be mainstreamed with a view to ‘leaving no one behind’.

• Incorporating Indigenous knowledge, values, and practices is essential for meaningful and culturally-relevant evaluation in African contexts – How do we incorporate this?
• The need to decolonise evaluation by centering African voices, literature, and experiences, rather than relying solely on Western evaluation frameworks and methodologies – What African Methodologies are available?
• Indigenous African evaluators and communities should be actively involved as partners and decision-makers – How do we bring them to the table?
• Indigenous evaluation should reflect the priorities, needs, and worldviews of African communities –Whose REALITY Counts?

The Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE) approach promotes the use of African indigenous knowledge systems, local languages, and community data ownership and sovereignty – How do we harmonise Indigenous African Protocols and lobby for buy-in?

​On Wednesday, 8 May 2024, I made a presentation on: “Navigating Choppy Waters in Indigenous Evaluation in Kenya: Case of the Indigenous Ogiek and the Mijikenda of Kenya – Promoting a Culture of Respect, Collaboration and Learning Together.” This was to be a joint presentation with my Mentee, Grace Wanjiru Murigo, who unfortunately was unable to get a VISA to travel to Canada, in what is emerging as a systemic racist attitude of the Canadian Government to deny VISAs to Africans, Asians and Latin Americans. Our presentation was drawn from two studies we conducted among the indigenous communities in Kenya namely the Ogiek and the Mijikenda. The studies were funded by the Ford Foundation under the auspices of the EvalIndigenous Global Network. The presentation discussed the complexities and challenges involved in conducting evaluations or assessments within indigenous communities in Kenya, using the Ogiek and Mijikenda groups as case studies. The concluding message of navigating the choppy waters was that the Indigenous communities have distinct cultural beliefs, practices, and worldviews that differ significantly from mainstream society or Western evaluation frameworks. Evaluators need to be sensitive to these cultural contexts and adapt their approaches accordingly.

​At the conclusion of the 5-day packed event, on Wednesday 8 May 2024, there was a concluding Indigenous Evaluation gathering called by the leadership of the EvalIndigenous Global Network, Dr. Fiona Cram and Serge Eric Yakeu-Djiam and the CES President, Andrealisa Belzer, with a view to come up with the ‘Wolastoq Declaration’. The participants gathered in the afternoon after the closure of the CES Conference in Fredericton to share their learnings and take-aways and to lay the foundation for a declaration in honour of the Wolastoq river, which was our host for this gathering.

​Through the generous support of EvalIndigenous, I was able to attend the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering organized by EvalIndigenous, the Canadian Evaluation Society and the Atlantic Indigenous Evaluation Stewardship Circle and I was able to attend the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) Conference at Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada from May 3rd 2024 to May 9th, 2024. This post outlines the key learnings and highlights from my participation at the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering.

Personally, for me to take part in the sweat lodge ceremony with the First Nations people was a rewarding experience. This experience helped me learn about the cultural practices of the First Nations people and the importance of the sweat lodge ceremony is for them. Furthermore, during the sweat lodge ceremony, I learnt about the importance of conserving the environment is for the First Nations people in Canada. Overall, the sweat lodge ceremony taught me to be patient during the extreme heart, to be mindful, and to focus on myself in my daily life.
     During the Indigenous gathering for dinner and stories, I learnt about the different cultural rituals and practices of the Indigenous people in Canada and also the problems they face. The problems the Indigenous people in Canada face are somewhat similar to the problems that the Indigenous people face in Sri Lanka such as land displacement, discrimination and marginalization, climate change and environmental degradation etc. Also, it was shocking and heart breaking for me to learn about the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
      Further, during this gathering, I was able to share the work done by APEA and EvalIndigenous in the Asia Pacific Region in order to promote Indigenous evaluation practices. 

​During the keynote speech, Fiona Cram, Co-Chair of EvalIndigenous highlighted the work undertaken by EvalIndigenous in Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. I was able to learn about the work been carried out by my peers in Africa and Latin America. And the areas where APEA might be able to collaborate for learning opportunities with other regions in relation to Indigenous evaluation.
     Additionally, I was able to share with other participants on the work that was conducted by APEA for the EvalIndigenous Ford Foundation grant. Especially, the participants were interested to learn about the Indigenous Evaluation toolkit developed by APEA. 
     Moreover, I took part in the “Red Dress Day” in order to support the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and their families. For the “Red Dress Day,” we walked from the legislature to the Old Burial grounds at Fredericton. During this ceremony, it was sad to learn about the recently murdered Indigenous chief sister. Taking part in this march taught me that more steps and initiatives are needed to be taken to protect the lives of Indigenous women and girls in Canada. 

The 11th African Evaluation Association (AfrEA) International Conference opened its doors on Monday, 18 March 2024 in the beautiful City of Kigali, in Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills. The EvalIndigenous Global Network was ably represented by the Co-Chairs, Dr. Fiona Cram and Eric Serge Yakeu-Djiam. The others who represented their various regions were: Jhank Narayan Shrestha, the President of the Nepal Evaluation Society (NES) and the Vice-President of the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA), Arnoux Mouafo Nopi, the Vice President of the Cameroun Development Evaluation Association (CaDEA), and Corine Rosanne Njomo also from Cameroun; Solomon Gitau Waiyego, an Indigenous YEE from Kenya, Dr. Florence Etta, the President of AGDEN and the two AfrEA Co-Convenors for EvalIndigenous namely: John Tembo Njovu and Dr. Awuor Ponge. It is good to note that EvalIndigenous was able to provide support to participants to attend the Conference, including some YEEs who took part in the Ford Foundation funded study. It was a pleasure receiving representation of EvalIndigenous from Latin America represented by Celeste Ghiano of ReLAC and her Team.
 
On Wednesday, 20 March 2024, the main Conference opened its doors and brought together over 650 registered participants far exceeding our expectation of a maximum 500 participants. So far, in the History of AfrEA, this is touted as the most well-attended conference. The welcome plenary was hosted jointly by AfrEA and the Rwanda Monitoring and Evaluation Organisation (RMEO). The key speakers included: the AfrEA President, Rosetti Nabbumba Nayenga; the RMEO President, Eugene Nyirigira Gatari; and a representative of the Rwanda Minister for Finance. The Special Address was delivered by Dr. Omotade Akin-Aina, the Chief, Impact and Research Officer at The Mastercard Foundation, which was the Platinum Sponsor for the Conference. The session was chaired by AfrEA President, Madam Rosetti Nabbumba Nayenga; while the Master-of-the-Ceremony was the ever-smiling President of the Uganda Evaluation Association (UEA), Matthew Lubuulwa.
 
On this fourth day of the conference, I made a presentation under Strand 7 under the Sub-theme:“Indigenous Evaluation and Ethics: Recalibrating the Made in Africa Evaluation in the Context of the Decolonization Debate”. The session was chaired by Veteran Indigenous Evaluator from Zambia, who is also the Africa Co-Chair of the EvalIndigenous Global Network, John Tembo Njovu. 
 
My presentation was on: “Navigating the Intersection of Indigenous Evaluation and Ethics in Africa.” It highlighted the similarities between the African Evaluation Principles (AEP) developed between 2019 and 2021 and the Indigenous African Ethical Protocol for Evaluations, which I developed for the EvalIndigenous Global Network in 2021. The key similarities revolved around the issues of cultural sensitivity and contextual relevance; community engagement and participation; decolonisation and empowerment. I highlighted the ethical considerations and the stress on the importance of ethical conduct in evaluations, acknowledging the value of local knowledge and indigenous wisdom; emphasising the importance of effective communication that respects local languages, modes of expression, and communication channels; and lastly on the idea that evaluations should contribute to the long-term sustainability and development of African communities. In terms of differences, the main areas of concern were on focus and scope; cultural emphasis; indigenous knowledge and participation; decolonisation and empowerment; spiritual and sacred aspects; community protocols and consent; local languages and communication and universal applicability of the principles vis-à-vis the ethical protocol.
 
The other presenters during this session were EvalIndigenous Co-Chair, Eric Serge Yakeu-Djiam: “The Local is Indigenous: EvalIndigenous advocacy for Indigenous evaluation”; Ronald Kimambo:“Reimagining Beneficiary Metrics: Perspectives from Global South Practitioners in Community Development”; and Kevin Obura: “Community ethics review: Reflections from a study on early childhood development and women’s agency.”
 
Thank you, Africa… Thank you AfrEA… We will keep the promise…

Bhuban Bajracharya, Dulmina Chamathkara, Prabin Chitrakar, Eroni Wavu, Ana Erika Lareza, Randika De Mel, and Madhuka Liyanagamage present at the CES conference. Three in-person and four video presentations were delivered by the team from the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association.
Abstract ​For evaluation to be part of a pathway to wellbeing for Indigenous people, it is essential that evaluators recognize and are responsive to Indigenous cultural contexts. Recognizing the importance of promoting culturally responsive evaluations in Asia Pacific - one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world, Asia Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA) and EvalIndigenous worked collaboratively to document and amplify indigenous evaluation practices and curate the experiences and voices of Indigenous knowledge holders and evaluators in the region. This session includes presentations on grant projects supported by EvalIndigenous and the toolkit for Indigenous Evaluation developed by Asia Pacific Evaluation Association. To capture the key learnings from these activities, a toolkit on Indigenous evaluations specifically for the Asia Pacific region was developed to serve as a practical guide that consolidates the existing knowledge and experiences of selected Indigenous communities and evaluators working with Indigenous communities in Asia Pacific and an advocacy tool that seeks to promote culturally responsive evaluations in the region. The main aim of this session is to amplify Indigenous evaluation project practices by bringing together Indigenous knowledge holders and Indigenous evaluators and global national evaluation systems and policies to increasingly recognize and support Indigenous.
Short clips from the in-person presentations are included below. The video clips are on our Reports page, along with the written reports from the seeding grant projects being described.