Our alumni

Graduates of the Indigenous Governance program play critical leadership and advocacy roles in their nations, communities, in government and across influential organizations at all levels.

Meet some of our alumni

Margaret Dawn Anderson

Margaret Dawn worked as a policy intern with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation while completing her master’s degree at UVic. She has served in various roles with justice, health and social services in the Government of Northwest Territories.

As Director of Community Justice and Policing, Margaret Dawn implemented positive changes to the territorial justice system. She also helped develop the territory’s Wellness Court Program, a therapeutic approach to reduce a convicted criminal’s tendency to reoffend by treating underlying issues involving mental health, addictions, or cognitive challenges.

Margaret Dawn received the territorial Premier’s Award for Excellence twice due to her leadership and commitment to improving her community.

"I'm hoping to be the voice for the Northwest Territories,” she told CBC Radio North, “to speak to issues that are of importance in the Northwest Territories and in the rest of Canada, especially as it pertains to minority groups, Indigenous people, women's issues, social housing and food security.

Nicholas XEMŦOLTW̱ Claxton

Nick is Chief of the Tsawout Nation and an assistant professor in UVic’s School of Child and Youth Care. He graduated from the MA in Indigenous Governance program in 2003 and went on to complete his PhD (2015) in Educational Studies.

He co-leads the Living Lab Project, a community of practice involving local First Nations, UVic faculty and staff, local schools, NGOs and government. They organize experiential learning programs to provide knowledge, skills, tools and curriculum for environmental education, monitoring and eco-cultural restoration.

“Getting out of the classroom. Exploring land and water. Learning science within the traditions of our culture and spiritual values,” says Claxton, “We bring this knowledge to our youth as early as grade three.”

Robby Smoker-Peters

Robby is from the Lytton First Nation, within the Nlaka’pamux Nation from the interior of BC. She graduated from the MA in Indigenous Governance program in 2016. Robby is currently working in the health care field facilitating anti-Indigenous racism education and theory.

"With topics spanning decolonial praxis and pedagogy, resistance, and resurgence, IGOV has been an incredibly transformative experience both for my personal life and scholarship. In my community governance project (CGP) titled Traditional Nlaka’pamux Knowledge, I worked within my community and with my family exploring ancestral fishing governance and technologies.

"As a framework, guiding methodologies included storytelling, land-based resurgence, and knowledge reclamation. At the request of my family, a hardcopy book was created as part of this CGP which provides an illustrated story of the collective knowledge shared throughout this process."