Yukon University now has a research chair in Northern Governance – thanks to a $1-million donation from Northern Vision Development LP (NVD).

The gift will help support the position for 10 years, the university said Tuesday.

Dr. Rebecca Major became the inaugural research chair at a special ceremony held that morning at YukonU.

Major, a Métis scholar, achieved her PhD in Public Policy from the University of Saskatchewan in 2020.

She is an associate professor in the Departments of Political Science and Philosophy at the University of Windsor in Ontario.

“This research chair presents a remarkable opportunity, and I am thrilled to be joining Yukon University and establishing Whitehorse as our family’s new home,” Major said.

“Governance is important; it’s all about relationships. Governance and nation-building should not be approached as an attempt to fit into someone else’s box but should reflect the original concepts and inherent values embedded in Indigenous structures,” Major added.

“I regard this research chair position as a significant chance to support and contribute to community-led research as an ongoing development initiative.

“It is particularly exciting that the focus of this role is on northern Indigenous governance,” the new chair said.

“Yukon First Nations have much to offer; they’ve moved the dial on modern relationships, and I look forward to learning, and working together.”

As a majority First Nation-owned company, “NVD looks forward to Dr. Major’s work and the preservation and growth of knowledge in northern governance, including the leadership that First Nation and Indigenous communities have and will continue to play across the territory,” said Rich Thompson, who chairs NVD’s board of directors.

“I’d also like to pass on a hearty welcome to Dr. Rebecca Major as she sets off as the inaugural individual to fill this role.

“In speaking with YukonU, I understand Dr. Major is passionate about policy and governance and employs a lens that approaches the field through the understanding of Indigenous people, communities, and governments,” Thompson said.

The research chair – the first funded by a donation from a community corporation – is designed to ensure the decades of work that has gone into developing all levels of government in the Yukon—municipal, territorial, national and First Nations—remain a critical part of Yukon history.

“This major endorsement from NVD will be transformational for Yukon University,” said Dr. Lesley Brown, YukonU’s president and vice-chancellor.

“This is a bold stamp of approval for our strategic plan, and we are so grateful for this contribution.

“Thank you, NVD, for this investment in our vision of becoming a thriving learning and research community leading Canada’s North.”

Research chairs, Brown added, “are awarded to people who are recognized to be the leading minds in their respective fields of study.

“Yukon University couldn’t have found a better fit than with Dr. Rebecca Major.”