Are you a student in communications or journalism?

Do you have experience with public affairs, social media and/or writing for the web?

Are you creative?

The Rebuilding First Nations Governance Project has an opening for a student to help carry out its Knowledge Mobilization and Communications activities.

Full details are here:

/rfng/wp-content/uploads/sites/170/2026/03/Interesting-part-time-work-opportunity.pdf

Apply by April 15

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We are happy to announce that we are kicking off our 2024-2025 Inherent Rights Youth Initiative! We have a lot of great sessions planned and hope it will be another great year full of learning and laughter.

We are happy to offer this year’s program “Inherent Rights in Practice”. This year, we will bring leading experts and practitioners together with our youth to share their knowledge on Citizen Engagement, Consultation & Accommodation, Constitution Building, Language & Lawmaking and Section 35.

Check out the IRYI pages to learn more about our initiative and plans for this year.

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An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children, youth and families

What legal authority and governing structures are First Nation’s communities in Canada using to enact their Children and Family laws in relation to An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children, youth and families (commonly referred to as Bill C-92)?

Check out Julie Williams and Mason Ducharme’s latest briefing note on Bill C-92

The post New Publication! Bill C92 Briefing Note appeared first on Rebuilding First Nations Governance.

Our Latest Shortcuts Produced by Julie Williams

Have you ever wondered why Chief and Council do or don’t do certain things or don’t always seem to be very effective? Have a read through the Indian Act Roles and Responsibilities of Chiefs and Councils Shortcut to learn more about the strict legal and financial control Chief and Council is under the Indian Act.

What is devolution? What are the federal government’s opt-in legislation under the Indian Act and are they self-government or self-administration? Check out our Shortcut on the Indian Act: Devolution and Opt-In Legislation to learn more!

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Announcement: Mason Ducharme as the New National Community Research Director

On behalf of the Project Management team, I’m delighted to announce that Mason Ducharme was recently promoted to the position of National Community Research Director for RFNG, from his role as an Inherent Rights Fellow. In this leadership position, Mason ensures that partner community research requirements are met with the necessary expertise and resources. He also assists Inherent Rights Fellows, Research Assistants, and First Nation community members in documenting and sharing their stories, learnings, and teachings to support other First Nations in their transition to self-government. In addition to this part-time role with RFNG, Mason also currently serves as Co-Executive Director of the Centre for First Nations Governance. His appointment to both roles reflects RFNG’s deep commitment to the development and promotion of young scholars and leaders in self-government.

Mason replaces Darcy Gray who recently took on new challenges. We are very grateful for the contributions that Darcy has made, and will continue to make to RFNG.

Mason’s heritage is deeply rooted in his family. His father, Cedric Jones, is from the Lil’wat Nation, and his mother, Allison Ducharme, is from the Samahquam Nation. Proud of his lineage from both Nations, Mason always acknowledges his citizenship to each.

Mason holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Capilano University, a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Victoria, and is nearing the completion of his PhD in Public Administration at the same institution. His PhD dissertation focuses on the retention of Indigenous executives in Indigenous organizations, a topic inspired by his professional experience. Mason is a recipient of the prestigious Joseph-Armand Bombardier Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral for his dissertation work. Additionally, he is a proud alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities certificate program.

With over five years of experience as an Indigenous executive in Indigenous organizations, Mason has held multiple research roles. From March 2021 to September 2023, he served as a research assistant, followed by his tenure as an Inherent Rights Fellow from October 2023 to July 2024 with the RFNG project. Beyond RFNG, he was the Research Advisor at the First Nations Public Service Secretariat (FNPSS) from November 2022 to July 2023, where he led a significant research project on the underfunding of First Nations governance. Mason also has experience as a sessional instructor, teaching Indigenous Values in Business and Human Resources Management at Vancouver Island University, and Indigenous Governance in Canada at the University of Victoria.

Mason’s scholarly contributions include the following publications:

– Ducharme, M., Thiessen, S., Lindquist, E. (Forthcoming). “Making Indigenous Self-Government Happen in Canada” in Positive Public Administration: New Directions for Theory and Practice.

– Ducharme, M. (Forthcoming). “The Retention of Indigenous Executives in Indigenous Organizations” in Research in HRM On Native American Persons’ Work Issues.

– Ducharme, M., Nye, L., Yakura, P., Corrie, S., Macdonald, C., Ford, J. (2023). “How to Support Core Governance Needs of British Columbia First Nations: Analysis and Recommendations” for First Nations Public Service Secretariat.

His panel presentations include:

– “Language and Lawmaking” at the Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium Conference, 2024.

– “What do First Nations Government leaders and administrators need from public administrators to support positive interactions with their Nations and organizations?” at the CAPPA/ACPAP Conference, 2022.

Mason’s conference presentations include:

– “The Retention of Indigenous Executives in Indigenous Organizations” at the BC AFOA’s Indigenous Governance & HR Conference, 2023.

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The Inherent Rights Fellow (IRF) will play a critical role in the Centre for First Nations Governance by working closely with First Nations communities and the Rebuilding First Nations Governance (RFNG) project. The IRF will conduct research, advise and participate in developing, implementing, and monitoring operational business plans and strategies to align with the Centre’s goals and objectives.

Job Posting: Inherent Rights Fellows

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume, cover letter, a written work sample, and three references to Mason Ducharme at mducharme@fngovernance.org by July 26, 2024.

Join us at CFNG and make a meaningful impact on the governance and self-determination of First Nations communities.

Centre for First Nations Governance (CFNG) is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from First Nations, MĂ©tis and Inuit.

The post We’re hiring Inherent Rights Fellows! appeared first on Rebuilding First Nations Governance.

Check out our new video highlighting our time together at the Rekindling the Fire Gathering in June 2023!

The post Rekindling the Fire Highlights Video appeared first on Rebuilding First Nations Governance.

People, Land, Language

Foundations for Inherent Rights Governance

June 2023, Algonquin Territory

Giuseppe Amatulli, post-doctoral fellow, ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University

First Nations Elders, leaders, and administrators gathered with practitioners, academics, and other experienced individuals for Rekindling the Fire at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University in Algonquin territory June 11-12, 2023.  Organized by the Rebuilding First Nations Governance (RFNG) project in partnership with the Centre for First Nations Governance (CFNG), the gathering was an opportunity for partner First Nations to share and learn from each other about how they are working to overcome the Indian Act and transition to self-government under their own inherent rights.  Over 2 days of discussion it emerged that our people, language, and land are key building blocks for partner communities and nations as they rebuild their governing structures and laws to exercise their inherent rights and leave the Indian Act behind.

This report was built on notes taken by our student volunteers and research team members; a word analysis of transcripts; reviewing video recordings; and additional written literature reviews. Thank you to all our partners who agreed to have their words and images captured and shared so that others might learn from their experiences.

Read the report here: Rekindling the Fire Final Report

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On the journey to self-government, “Shortcuts” can be useful.  Welcome to our new series of high-level briefings on key governance issues, designed for First Nations councils and administrators or anyone who needs a quick introduction to topics like consultation and accommodation, or “FPIC”.  The briefings are short, easy to read, and packed with lots of references for those who want to explore the topic more on their own.  Let us know what you think, and feel free to suggest other First Nations governance topics you’d like to see in this series by dropping us a note at rfng@carleton.ca.

Aboriginal Title, Consultation and Consent

On the duty to consult and accommodate

ON UNDRIP AND FPIC

UNDRIP in the Canadian Context

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Indigenous Culture in Contemporary Indigenous Government: Some Examples from Native Nations in the United States

Stephen Cornell and Miriam Jorgensen

This paper is less concerned with the right to govern than with the how of governing. Its focus is on the Indigenous experience in the United States: How are Native nations in the U.S. incorporating aspects of culture—including their own governmental traditions—in building effective governments today? It is organized around six topics or tools of governing: constitutions, citizenship, dispute resolution and the provision of justice, law-making, the selection of leaders, and child welfare. Within each section the authors offer examples of Indigenous nations considering—and usually drawing on—their own cultural resources to address contemporary governmental tasks.

The choice of topics and examples is not meant to be exhaustive. The purpose is to illustrate and capture at least some of the diversity of Indigenous nations’ efforts to draw on their own rich governmental principles and traditions in addressing the challenge of governing effectively on behalf of their own purposes.

The full article can be accessed here: Cornell & Jorgensen – Indigenous Culture in Contemporary Indigenous Government: Some Examples from Native Nations in the United States

Cornell is Faculty Chair of the Native Nations Institute at the University of Arizona where he is Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Emeritus Director of the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy. He also is co-founder and Emeritus Director of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development (today the Harvard Kennedy School Project on Indigenous Governance and Development).

Jorgensen is Research Director of both the Native Nations Institute at the University of Arizona and the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development.

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