On July 30, Expanding the Bench (ETB) hosted a Culturally Responsive and Indigenous Evaluation® (CRIE) event, Being a Good Relative in Your Organization: Learning and Yakama Storywork presented by Dr. Michelle Jacob, Dr. Greggory Sutterlict, and Carol Craig, members of the Yakama Nation. The session began with Dr. Jacob elevating the importance of pausing to be story ready, to listen with your “three ears”—our two ears and our heart. This teaching coupled with the expectation attendees bring their “full selves” to the experience, as both listeners and storytellers work together to learn.  

Dr. Greggory Sutterlict passed down a story elders tell about a relatable character, Síkni, that favored her bed over proper preparation for an important event. The community was preparing to gather a sacred food that is honored with song and ceremony. Síkni procrastinated despite many prompts to prepare from her community.  When Síkni finally arrived to participate, she held her head down low because she had missed the sun. The image of Síkni with her head held low was symbolized by a flower known as Síkni in Yakama Ichishkíin.  

The story served as a poignant reminder that failure is not the end of a journey. Even if an initial method or approach isn’t successful, failure is an important teacher. Honor yourself, value your feelings, and learn from your failure because. even in failure, you remain an imperative member of each community you belong to — whether in evaluation, research, funding, or other areas of your community. 

Much like the Síkni returning every spring, you are resilient and can try again. My time in the virtual Yakama story circle reminded me to have compassion and gentleness towards myself and others, to practice honoring my wholeness, and to show up to work with my true self while accepting others as they are.  

~ Cachet Evans, ETB Communications Associate

If you would like to learn more about more about Dr. Jacob and the Yakama Nation’s work, please see these links to learn more:

Dr. Nicole Bowman & Culturally Responsive and Indigenous Evaluation
Anahuy Mentoring
Indigenous Storywork
Carol Craig’s beautiful essay in Voices of the River
Native Land Digital Map

Acknowledgements: CRIE is a term coined by Advancing Culturally-responsive and Equitable (ACE) Evaluation Network Member Nicole R. Bowman, PhD (Mohican/Lunaape) of Bowman Performance Consulting, LLC.