SFU Public Policy welcomes new assistant professor in Indigenous Public Policy
Simon Fraser University’s School of Public Policy (SPP) welcomes Mason Ducharme of the Líl̓wat and Samahquam Nations as its new assistant professor in Indigenous Public Policy.
Ducharme joins SFU from the University of Victoria’s (UVic) School of Public Administration where he is an adjunct assistant professor. He also serves as executive director for the Centre for First Nations Governance (CFNG) and as National Community Research Director for the Rebuilding First Nations Governance (RFNG) project, a national research partnership supported by a $2.5 million Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant. Through CFNG and RFNG, Ducharme has worked alongside First Nations across Canada to support the transition from governance under the Indian Act toward the exercise of inherent rights and self-government.
“I consider myself a ‘pracademic’, a practitioner who is also an academic,” says Ducharme. “I’m someone who does research on how we can make the world a better place, and who looks for something practical we can give back to the community.”
Ducharme’s path to academia reflects both personal determination and a strong commitment to community. The first in his family to earn a university degree and later a PhD, Ducharme chronicles his journey to his doctorate on his podcast, The IndigeDoctor: From the Reservation to Dissertation.
His post-secondary education began at Capilano University where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a concentration in international business. Then, he continued his studies at UVic, earning a Master’s and PhD in public administration. He completed his master’s while being one of Canada’s youngest band managers, serving the Nuchatlaht Tribe at age 23.
“I did my master’s project on creating a strategic plan for my organization and that was a really great exercise because it was a way for me to give back to the organization that gave me so much,” says Ducharme
His doctoral research focused on the turnover and retention of Indigenous executives in Indigenous organizations. Again, Ducharme drew on his experience as a band manager to help him complete his research.
“I really wanted to know, are other executives experiencing the same thing that I experienced, and if so, what are the impacts on the organizations when they leave? And, more importantly, what can organizations do to keep them around?” he asks.
At SFU, Ducharme will begin teaching the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program in fall 2026. He hopes to bring both his research and practical experience into the classroom. He wants to give students a sense of what it’s like working with Indigenous organizations, and focus on areas that non-Indigenous people need to know about working with those organizations.
When asked about SFU’s commitment What’s Next Strategy and commitment to upholding truth and reconciliation, Ducharme noted the importance of SFU’s goal of hiring more Indigenous faculty.
“It is important to get Indigenous representation into the classrooms because that makes a world of difference to our learners,” he says. “You get that lived experience. You get that work experience. It’s hard to just talk about it without seeing somebody there.”
Ducharme acknowledged the contributions of SPP’s outgoing Indigenous faculty member, professor Natahnee Winder.
“In Indigenous culture, it’s important to recognize those that came before you,” he says. “I appreciate professor Winder for her time and service. I hope that what I offer the school will make her proud.”
Ducharme also emphasized the importance of using authentic, Indigenous literature in the classrooms, and that SFU maintain a good relationship with neighbouring Indigenous communities and non-profit Indigenous organizations.
“I’m hopeful that we’re empowered to do research that matters for our communities and organizations that we serve because that is how I truly think we are going to move mountains—by doing work that matters.”