Indigenous self-governance
July 17, 2025
Strong Indigenous self-governance drives PhD grad
Mason Ducharme’s dad is Cedric Jones of Lil’wat Nation, and his mom is Allison Ducharme of Samahquam Nation. He is proud of his heritage from both Nations, and is always reminded to indicate his citizenship to both nations.
Ducharme is passionate about Indigenous self-determination and in June he received his PhD from the School of Public Administration. His thesis focused on "The Retention of Indigenous Exectives in Indigenous Organizations."
Q & A:
Q1. Can you explain some of your key findings from your PhD dissertation?
"I found that in executive positions, the turnover of Indigenous leadership is common but not inevitable. Many executives leave due to burnout, lateral violance (bullying), governance instability or lack of supports. These are fixable issues."
"People want to work for their Nations and many Indigenous executive are deeply motivated to serve their communities, but they need to be fairly compensated and supported holistically."
"Retention strategies matter, such as, competitive salaries, benefits, reduced workweeks, leadership coaching, cultural safety and capacity-bulding opportunities; all play a role in retaining executives."
"Strong Indigenous self-governance depends on leadership stability. When there is high turnover at the executive level, this undermines the momentum needed for exercising inherent rights and rebuilding governance systems."
Q2. Did anything about your research findings surprise you?
"One finding that stood out was that smaller and more remote First Nations communities tended to have longer executive tenures compared to larger and more urban communities. While the sample size was too small to draw definitive or generalizable conclusions, it’s a trend that warrants further quantitative research. It challenges some assumptions about capacity and remoteness, and suggests that community cohesion or connection to place might play a role in retention."
"Another surprising insight was related to lateral violence (bullying, gossiping, social exclusion). I wasn’t surprised to find it named as a leading cause of Indigenous executive turnover—many participants shared painful experiences—but I was surprised that it wasn't more often framed as something that could be actively addressed as part of a retention strategy. There’s an opportunity here to shift the narrative: from simply acknowledging lateral violence as a challenge, to resourcing and reskilling organizations to respond with lateral kindness, cultural safety, and trauma-informed leadership."
Q3. Can you explain why you started the podcast, The IndigeDoctor?
"I launched the first episode of The IndigeDoctor on January 2, 2023. I started the podcast after noticing a gap—there weren’t many spaces where Indigenous PhD students could share their journeys. I wanted to create something that could inspire others by highlighting those stories. That’s how I came up with the term “IndigeDoctor”—to celebrate Indigenous scholars pursuing doctoral degrees. My hope is that it encourages more Indigenous students to see themselves in these roles, and to feel supported in their paths toward becoming the next generation of IndigeDoctors."
Ducharme defended his PhD dissertation with his daughters and Lil’wat community members present.
"It was unforgettable, says Ducharme, it meant the world to me to have our Elders and future generations in the room."
After graduation, Ducharme became the Executive Directior of the Centre for First Nations Governance, where he oversees and manages HR to ensure a positive and productive work environment.