Indigenous communities have always engaged in review and reflection. Western research and evaluation frameworks may not align with ancestral and cultural wisdom, and we hope to address this through our Indigenous Evaluation Toolkit.

As Indigenous communities continue to shape programming to reflect their own stories, ways of knowing, and cultural perspectives, there is a growing need for frameworks that support the infusion of this knowledge into the evaluation of their programs focused on substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery support. Through step-by-step guidance, worksheets, and storytelling, this toolkit offers communities an iterative, reflective, continuous learning process for beginning or incorporating Indigenous evaluation.

Acknowledgments

Seven Directions would like to thank:

Dr. Joan LaFrance, Richard Nichols, and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), whose seminal book, Telling Our Story in Our Place and Time: Indigenous Evaluation Framework, serves as the conceptual foundation for this Toolkit.

Directors and leaders of 15 tribal programs, inter-tribal consortia, and tribal epidemiology centers who received grants under the CDC’s 1803 cooperative agreements who participated in interviews that formed the impetus of this project.

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Indigenous Evaluation Toolkit Pilot Partner Sites:‍

• Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) - Seven Directions would also like to acknowledge our ANTHC partners for sharing the following reference for consideration when planning for the continual improvement of a process or service: The Deming Institute PDSA Cycle
• Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness

Seven Directions is guided by the Tribal Opioid Technical Advisory Group (OTAG). Click here for a list of members.

Many others in Indigenous public health are exploring Indigenous evaluation. We've listed several below. Find more in the Resources section of our toolkit!

Organizations & Indigenous Evaluation Toolkits

Urban Indian Health Institute’s Indigenous Evaluation webpage with Indigenous evaluation toolkits, videos, and technical assistance services.

Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Indigenous Evaluation Toolkit webpage with toolkits, videos, and resources links for Indigenous evaluation.

An introduction to Indigenous Methodologies, PREVNet’s Community of Practice to Address Youth Dating: Indigenous Evaluation Methodologies.

Notah Begay III Foundation’s Keeping Track: A Toolkit for Indigenous Youth Program Evaluation.