Sovereignty, Reciprocity, and Evidence: Practical Recommendations From a State-Funded Tribal Evaluation

Evaluations of Tribe-led programs that are funded by non-Tribal entities navigate tensions between mainstream scientific norms and Indigenous ways of knowing. This article reflects on these tensions within the California American Indian Tobacco Initiative Evaluation (CAITIE), which assessed the impact of the California Department of Public Health's Tribal Grants to Reduce Tobacco-Related Disparities between 2019 and 2024. In navigating these tensions, the CAITIE team confronted four key challenges: the initial lack of American Indian and Alaska Native staff, problems with responsiveness during outreach, the tension between data aggregation and local relevance, and the ethical demands of culturally reciprocal dissemination. Drawing on Indigenous evaluation frameworks, the CAITIE team adjusted team composition, redesigned engagement strategies, and incorporated member checks to foster reciprocity. By documenting this decision-making process, the article offers concrete strategies and reflections for those seeking to do this work in ethical and impactful ways.