Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Evaluation: Improving Philanthropic Practice

This First Nations report highlights the need to change evaluation and data collection practices in Native American communities.

Indigenous peoples have been some of the most studied peoples around the globe. But in most cases, research and evaluation studies have been extractive and predatory and continue to perpetuate false narratives that frame Indigenous life and communities through a deficient-based lens.

This new report highlights ways to improve data and research practices, especially in philanthropy, by following principles and practices of Indigenous data sovereignty and Indigenous evaluation.

This report stems from a gathering of Native community leaders from across the United States hosted by First Nations in August 2021. This meeting focused on ongoing challenges Native people have when it comes to research and evaluation, and explored ways to put Native people and communities in control of research and evaluation in their communities.