Yukon University announces new research chair on northern governance

Yukon University has announced Rebecca Major as the new research chair on northern governance.

A core function of the position, said Major, will be to understand the impacts and development of different levels of government, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, in the North. 

Major is a member of the Métis Nation of Ontario. She's an assistant professor at the University of Windsor and has a doctorate from the University of Saskatchewan in Indigenous Public Policy.

She believes the impacts of colonization on Indigenous people are still not understood by many in Canada. 

"I still encounter a lot of people who don't even know that we've had a Truth and Reconciliation Commission or the missing murdered Indigenous women inquiry," Major said. She added research into those impacts needs to be led by residents of communities across the Yukon.

This new position is being funded by Northern Vision Development, a real estate company. The funding amounts to  $1 million over 10 years.

This new position will further enhance Yukon University's reputation for research in the North, according to the university's president. 

"Among many aspirations, we aim to grow, to lead, and to showcase our expertise in northern governance and Indigenous governance to the rest of Canada," said Lesley Brown, president and vice-chancellor of Yukon University.  

This is the sixth research chair appointment by Yukon University.