Before the Kuh-ke-nah SMART First Nations project began, one outdoor public pay phone was the only telephone line in the entire community of North Spirit Lake.

“The term ‘evaluation’, although imperative and well-intentioned, strikes terror into the little guys at the bottom. Whether intended or not, ‘evaluation’ is synonymous with a report card, fear of failing grades, non-renewal of funding due to “missing the mark”. When a major component of an evaluation is judging outcomes based on objectives, the positive, spin-off outcomes never seem to compensate for the areas not achieved. We either end up fudging results, or the self-respect of the project suffers, and the self-esteem of participants withers.”

Margaret Fiddler, former Principal, Keewaytinook Internet High School