IPE TIG Week: Indigenous Evaluators without Borders: IPE TIG Participation Nationally and Globally by Nicky Bowman

Koolamalsi Njoosuk wuk Elànkumàkik (Warm Greetings Colleagues/Relatives). I’m Nicole Bowman (Mohican/Lunaape) and the current AEA IPE TIG Chair, Member of the AEA International Work Group (IWG) Team, and Task Force Member of the EvalIndigenous Network. Today’s blog highlights some of the contributions by Indigenous people that happen year-round. Let’s celebrate, appreciate, and commemorate during this Colonial/Federal holiday the many ways Indigenous people are impacting the field of evaluation!

• IPE TIG on AEA’s Diversity Task Force:

The seven-member AEA Diversity Task Force on Member Engagement, Diversity, and Leadership Development began in January 2017. Chaired by Drs. Robin Miller and Melvin Hall, IPE TIG is represented by Dr. Nicole Bowman.

• IPE TIG on EvalPartners’ Global Initiative:

The third EvalPartners Global Forum was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic from April 26-28, 2017.  Drs. Bowman, Cram, and Bremner (amongst others) are all part of the EvalIndigenous Task Force.  Dr. Bowman is also a member of AEA’s International Work Group.  EvalIndigenous testimonies more can be seen on the EvalPartner’s You Tube channel.

• IPE TIG through CREA:

IPE TIG was well represented at the 4^th International Culturally Relevant Assessment and Evaluation Conference September 27-29, 2017 in Chicago IL.  Pre-conference and in conference sessions, keynotes, and panelists on the AEA Diversity Dialog hosted by CREA all included IPE TIG leadership or members.  Drs. Bowman, Cram, LaFrance, Nelson-Barber, Tibbets, and Wehipeihana (all IPE TIG members) are also CREA Research Affiliates.

Hot Tip:

EvalIndigenous and IPE TIG contributions, resources, and activities are always shared via our website and social media.

Cool Trick:

Become an IPE TIG member (open to anyone) and get our newsletter and so much more!

Lesson Learned:

Being Indigenous has multiple and complex cultural, language, social, and governance meanings depending on who you ask and the community context from where on Mother Earth you are from as an Indigenous person.  Through the global membership and participation of IPE TIG and EvalIndigenous there is always growth, developing new relationships, and a deepening appreciation for our vast diversity.

Rad Resources:

• Indigenous authors will be represented in the 2018 special American Journal of Evaluation Issue on race and evaluation. “Continuing the Dialog – Evaluation’s Call to Action:  21^st Century Perspectives in Addressing Race” will feature Dr. Nicole Bowman’s, “Looking Backward but Moving Forward:  Honoring the Sacred and Asserting the Sovereign in Indigenous Evaluation”.
• A special all Indigenous evaluation issue from New Directions in Evaluation (Drs. Cram, LaFrance, and Tibbets are the series editors) will be out in 2018.

The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Indigenous Peoples in Evaluation (IPE)  TIG week. All posts this week are contributed by members of the IPE Topical Interest Group. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.