The AES has dedicated time and resources for our First Nations Board members to meet with their colleagues internationally in other sister societies, to further our joint efforts in Indigenous evaluation.
In February 2019, John Stoney, Kiri Parata and Sharon Clarke had an opportunity to attend the Mā Te Rae, Indigenous Peoples Conference on Evaluation which was held at Te Papaiouru Marae, Ohinemutu, Rotorua, Aotearoa (New Zealand). This conference was attended by Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples from around the world. From the beginning to the end cultural protocols were followed and the Elders were the nucleus of the conference by sharing stories and giving feedback on the conference proceedings every day. Their presence and wisdom was electrifying.
All of the presenters and papers were exceptional to listen to and hear what was being said – there were plenty of thought provoking ideas. This also gave everyone the opportunity to network with fellow evaluators from around the world, including members of EvalIndigenous – a network of Indigenous evaluators from around the world. The hospitality, friendship and entertainment given to us will never be forgotten.