Reflections of a new evaluator at the Canadian Evaluation Society national conference, Edmonton AB, May 25-27, 2026

I come to evaluation, as so many do, through a side door. I had been editing and writing for Gladys’s Indigenous Insights podcast for a couple of years and then edited the book condensing the first season of podcast episodes into a free online resource. In the past few months I’ve started editing Indigenous Insights Collective evaluation reports, and only in the past month have I taken my first training in evaluation. 

I was excited but nervous to fly to Edmonton and plunge into the conference as an exhibitor for the Indigenous Insights Collective table. As a recovering academic who has attended conferences before, I was relatively certain no one would eat me, but I had general anxiety about the amount of talking I would need to do and whether I would be able to adequately reflect the work Gladys is doing.

I am deeply grateful to Gladys, who planned such a great table that conversations were natural and easy. She introduced me whenever I was near to her conversations and included me in invitations to several social events, as well as making space for me to recover and take time for myself. It was a pleasure to spend more time with her (and her collection of wonderful shoulder-grazing beaded earrings).

One of the first and loveliest things that happened was getting to meet Paisley, who is another remote member of the Indigenous Insights Collective and was there in her capacity as Editorial Coordinator to the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. She frequently checked in on me to make sure I knew what was expected, familiarised me with the captioning system for the keynote/plenary talks, and was a bubbly personality in fabulous skirts. Thank you, Paisley!

I am thankful for all the people who approached the Indigenous Insights table and chatted with a friendly smile and attentive listening. For all the people who signed up for the newsletter, purchased a mug or sticker, accepted a bookmark, shared their stories. For the kind comments of the podcast guests I was able to meet in person after often hearing their voices or seeing them on a screen.

Nadine Flagel & Gladys Rowe at the Indigenous Insights Collective table at CES2026 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

I have gratitude to the catering staff at the Westin Edmonton, who fed me for several days and pulled off an elegant and nourishing awards luncheon for hundreds of participants.

I am grateful to the people who let me know that they were having a tough moment at the conference, which gave me permission to also have challenging moments.

Thank you to the organizers, who arranged for fascinating keynote speakers and other presenters, and to the presenters who worked so hard to prepare and travel for their talks. As stimulating (and occasionally overstimulating!) as I found those, I was also appreciative of people preparing for ceremony in other ways. I’m driven and nourished by a love of textiles, and deeply appreciated the vivid colours and sumptuous textures of ribbon skirts and modern barkcloth garments. 

I am grateful to the people who shared my art supplies and validated my use of quiet time as creative time.

I’d like to acknowledge Jennica Nichols and Maya Lefkowich (both from AND Implementation) and Gladys for leading a beautiful poetic inquiry evaluation session at the end of the second day, a session that allowed me to begin to come to terms with the conference and quietly grapple with the tough and soft moments. 

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Treaty Six Territory on which we gathered, a welcoming place for many peoples. Thanks to the diverse Indigenous peoples whose footsteps have marked that territory for centuries – among them Cree, Saulteaux, Niisitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, and Nakota Sioux – people are still able to come there from around the world.