“Inherent Rights, Informed Voices” is for First Nations leaders, administrators and citizens who want to learn about their inherent rights; the power that citizens have to transform the way their nation is governed; and how the Indian Act obstructs their ability to develop effective self-governance and take their rightful place as citizens within their own nations and within Canada. The podcast is also an important educational tool for all Canadians to better understand our shared history and the importance of creating a shared future together. Effective self-governance is critical to the survival, health and well-being of First Nation peoples. It is a central pillar in reconciliation and in the creation of a new nation-to-nation relationship with the Crown; and is vital to building Canada’s global strength.

The podcast is produced by the Rebuilding First Nations Governance (RFNG) research project in collaboration with its lead partner, the Centre for First Nations Governance (CFNG). It features experts across the country who are partners, collaborators and practitioners helping First Nations to find pathways out of Indian Act administration back to governing themselves and their territories.

The first five episodes of the podcast will be released weekly until December 15th, with another five in production for release in the New Year. It will be available on YouTube, Facebook, Spotify and SoundCloud. Episode dates and details below.

Episodes: 2025

• Episode 1:

November 17, 2025

“Where it all began…” Exploring the history of the Indian Act and the inherent right to self-government. Episode 1 covers how First Nation communities governed themselves successfully before the arrival of European settlers and how the introduction of colonial government and the Indian Act changed ways of life that had been practiced for millennia.

Host: Catherine MacQuarrie

Guests: Frances Abele, Terry Poucette

• Episode 2:

November 24, 2025

Indigenous governance can be a tricky concept to wrap your head around. Terms like self-determination, self-governance, inherent right to self-government, reconciliation, Section 35, are thrown around. But what do they actually mean? Episode 2 explores the key concepts of the inherent right to self-government. What does it mean for First Nations to be self-determining? And how does that shape reconciliation in Canada?

Host: Mason Ducharme

Guests: Satsan (Herb George), Chris Robertson

• Episode 3:

December 1, 2025

Have you ever wondered why and how Canada recognizes Indigenous rights? In episode 3, prepare to learn all about Section 35 – a short but important piece of Canada’s constitution that recognizes the rights of Indigenous peoples across the country. Canada’s constitutional obligation to protect these rights, paired with the country’s adoption of the United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides a strong foundation for protecting Aboriginal and Treaty rights in numerous ways.

Host: Julie Williams

Guest: Naiomi Metallic

• Episode 4:

December 8, 2025

Indigenous peoples across Canada have a long history of successfully challenging the courts, governments and the public to recognize their rights. In episode 4, we learn about successful government policy change regarding Aboriginal rights, and how nations can begin implementing their own policies as a step to reclaiming self-governance.

Host: Dwayne Nashkawa

Guests: Catherine MacQuarrie, Frances Abele, Kent McNeil

• Episode 5:

December 15, 2025

The Canadian government has twice legislated the inherent right to self-government to recognize specific jurisdictions. One of those times was in 2019 with the passing of Bill C-92. For decades Indigenous voices had pushed for the right to control their own child and family services, and this Bill finally provides supports for that right. Episode 5 delves into Bill C-92 while exploring how some First Nations’ have been structuring their own child and family laws.

Host: Nathan Oakes

Guest: Albert Peeling, Mason Ducharme

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The Rebuilding First Nations Governance (RFNG) research team is pleased to have three articles featured in the Canadian Public Administration (CPA) journal’s special issue on Indigenous Resilience & Resurgence in the Transformation of Governance and Public Administration in Canada.

Our community partners identified the subjects of each of these articles as research important to their work in advancing self-governance. They are:

RFNG is a First Nations-led, multi-partner research project supporting nations to find pathways out of the Indian Act into exercising their inherent right to self-government. Effective self-governance is critical to the survival, health and well-being of First Nations. It is crucial to Canada’s future as a country. Honouring the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples that are affirmed by the Canadian constitution is a central pillar in reconciliation and in establishing a new Nation-to-Nation-to-Nation relationship among First Nations, federal, and provincial governments.

ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University is a key partner in the project through Frances Abele, Distinguished Research Professor, who is principal investigator and project co-director with Satsan (Herb George) of the Centre for First Nations Governance (CFNG). The project is supported in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). “This publication is a major milestone,” says Abele. “Out of 13 accepted articles in this special issue, RFNG is responsible for three of them which is a strong testament to the importance of our collective work.”

“We are excited to support First Nations in moving from education and awareness about the Indian Act toward real action and implementation under the inherent right to self-government. We ensure our work is transferrable so that all First Nations can benefit from the research and these pathways forward,” says Dr. Mason Ducharme, Executive Director of the CFNG and National Community Research Director for RFNG

As the research project enters its final years, Abele anticipates the release of more scholarly works as well as a range of other materials First Nations can use for implementing their own inherent rights strategies. For enquiries and further information contact rfng@carleton.ca.

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