1.5 Local cultural contexts

Many countries have a history of colonization. Consequences of harm are experienced over several generations. The Canadian Commission on Truth and Reconciliation offers a testimony of harms and genocidal actions that happened in Canada against Indigenous people (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015). Living in British Columbia, I’ve listened to stories of dispossession, of abuse and harm, stories that are not from distant history, but from the lived experiences of those who are still here to tell them. Elders share painful memories of entire villages emptied of children. Others tell stories of being forbidden to speak their language at school and of returning home as teenagers and not knowing their own relatives. Many children never returned, lost to illness, neglect, or abuse. Consequences of harm are experienced over several generations. Listening is taking part in a movement acknowledging Truth.

Legal frameworks are changing, with, for example, the ratification by 147 countries of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) (United Nations, 2007). Some changes are also taking place in colonized places, with UNDRIP adopted as law in British Columbia, and the recognition of the inherent right of self-government and self-determination expressed by the introduction of Section 35(1) of the Constitution Acts, 1982 (Government of Canada, 2024; McNeil, n.d.).

Through self-determination, we see a resurgence of Indigenous cultures, with initiatives in education, language revitalization, land and water management, health, data and knowledge ownership, and the affirmation of Indigenous rights. While the impacts of colonization are still evident, many positive and hopeful stories are unfolding.

When evaluations take place on ancestral Indigenous lands, the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is essential, and cultural protocols should be understood and respected. Various processes can be put in place, and the field of evaluation offers valuable guidance  (Bowman, 2019; Bowman & Bremner, 2024; Bremner et al., 2020; Brousselle et al., 2024a; Chilisa & Mertens, 2021; Chouinard & Cram, 2020; Cram, 2018a, 2018b; Rowe, 2022). Respecting Indigenous rights and cultures is essential for decolonizing evaluation. Particular attention should be paid to local traditions and cultures. For example in the podcast Indigenous Insights, An Garagiola, reflecting on her experience working with Indigenous communities in Minnesota (USA), emphasizes the importance of establishing trust (Rowe, 2024b). She also stresses that evaluators should support communities’ self-determination and empowerment by allowing communities to guide the direction of the work, ensuring it serves their objectives (Rowe, 2024b). Communities should also decide how they wish to share their stories (Rowe, 2024b). Heather Burke and Cheyenne Williams, interviewed in another Indigenous Insights podcast, highlight the importance of building long-lasting relationships with Indigenous people and being accountable for these relationships (Rowe, 2024a). They note the necessity of being humble, open, and balancing power dynamics (Rowe, 2024a). Additionally, they emphasize the importance of respecting local protocols and waiting to be invited (Rowe, 2024a). These testimonies underscore the fact that ‘helicopter’ evaluations and evaluators are not welcome, as they perpetuate the history of colonization. Being mindful of cultural differences, respecting local cultures, and adhering to local protocols should be principles applied to all evaluations, in all countries.

Mainstream evaluation approaches are still largely shaped by a few dominant cultures, whereas embracing diverse values and a range of voices offering alternatives to the prevailing systems could open new pathways for creating healthy, sustainable, and equitable societies.