Experiential approaches to creating a new narrative on research and evaluation with indigenous people

![CDATA[In this poster, non-Indigenous researchers working with Indigenous people from two countries reflect upon their respective orientations towards knowledge development to help shift the narrative on research and evaluation with Indigenous communities. Research is not culturally neutral and program evaluation can be steeped in colonial and postcolonial histories. Western knowledge conceptions can be misaligned with Indigenous values and worldviews; therefore, academic research practices need to be expanded to address these inadequacies (LaFrance & Crazy Bull, 2009; Singh & Major, 2017; Smith, 1999). First, an example from Australia describes a strengths-based program evaluation to understand the benefit of Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Indigenous youth attending a specialist behavioral school. Second, an example from a United States agency illustrates a vision-driven set of evaluation activities and reflective conversations to transform practitioner and policy views of research and evaluation in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. These two examples provide compelling evidence regarding how an experiential orientation toward evaluation that emphasizes shared action, reflection, and application might facilitate the meaningful use of data by Indigenous communities to inform their local decision-making.]]