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The Process of Becoming: A Roadmap to Evaluation in Indian Country
Author(s) -
Martinez Art,
Running Wolf Paulette,
BigFoot Dolores Subia,
Randall Carlette,
Villegas Malia
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
new directions for evaluation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.374
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1534-875X
pISSN - 1097-6736
DOI - 10.1002/ev.20333
Subject(s) - indigenous , process (computing) , context (archaeology) , culturally appropriate , traditional knowledge , cultural knowledge , sociology , welfare , task (project management) , culturally sensitive , psychology , public relations , political science , social psychology , pedagogy , history , management , computer science , medicine , law , economics , operating system , ecology , archaeology , family medicine , biology
When tribal communities hear the word “evaluation,” it often invokes a reactive fear and a sense of disempowerment. This dynamic is based on the historical trauma experienced in tribal communities, as well as their continuing experience of deficit‐based evaluations. In addressing questions that are important for a western scientific audience, evaluators invariably overlook more relevant and valid areas of cultural learning and development. Such deficit‐based evaluation practices must be replaced by more culturally responsive evaluation practice that engages fully with tribal communities, and where all involved have a commitment to cultural ways of knowing and learning. Evaluation must embark upon the process of engaging with cultural strengths in a manner that empowers Indigenous communities and builds Indigenous knowledge. This allows for both the generation and honoring of Indigenous knowledge development. This chapter describes the process of developing an evaluation roadmap to do just this task within an American Indian child welfare context.