WHITEHORSE—Yukon University now has a Research Chair in Northern Governance thanks to a one million dollar donation from Northern Vision Development LP (NVD). This generous gift will help support this position for 10 years.
The University announced Dr. Rebecca Major as the inaugural Research Chair at a special ceremony held this morning at YukonU. Major is a Métis scholar who 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.
“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” says Rich Thompson, Chairman of the Northern Vision Development Board of Directors
Born in Banff, Alberta, and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, Coates is a renowned and well-respected scholar, educator and commentator. He is passionate about the topics of Indigenous rights, northern development, northern Canadian history, science, technology and society.
Coates has taught and led at universities across Canada, including the University of Waterloo, University of New Brunswick, University of Northern British Columbia and University of Saskatchewan. He also spent two years at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, an institution known globally for its work on Indigenous education.
