On December 4th, 2024, Dr. Mason Ducharme achieved a significant milestone, becoming Lil'wat Nation's second doctor after successfully defending his dissertation. In this episode, we share Mason's compelling dissertation defense presentation, exploring the critical topic of Turnover and the Retention of Indigenous Executives in Indigenous Organizations.

Listen in to gain insights into who occupies these key executive roles, the challenges driving turnover, the profound impacts of executive departures, and actionable strategies to support retention. While the Supervisor Committee's questions were excluded to honor ethical guidelines, Mason’s presentation offers a powerful look at this essential research and its implications for Indigenous governance.

Join us as we celebrate Mason’s accomplishment and dive deep into his findings that aim to strengthen Indigenous organizations and leadership.

In this special podcast episode, recorded just eight hours after Dr. Mason Ducharme's successful dissertation defense, Mason teams up with his co-host and eldest daughter, Riel, for an unforgettable conversation. Together, they interview an incredible lineup of family members: Riel's grandpa Cedric Jones, Great-Great Uncle Allan Peters, Uncle Daniel McNabb, mom Rikki Ducharme, and little sister Macy Ducharme. They share their reflections and experiences from Mason's momentous defense. And of course, Riel brings her signature charm, diving into delightful topics like Beetlejuice, dinosaurs, and mythical creatures, adding a fun twist to this family-centered celebration!

Mason Ducharme is a recent graduate of Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC. Mason spent the majority of his life in Vancouver, BC up until now...

Upon graduation, Mason and his partner Rikki moved up to the North East corner of BC to a small town called, Fort St. John, population: 18,609 for a once in a lifetime job opportunity that lasted from September 2014-May 2015.

During these 9 months in Fort St. John, Mason learns to adjust to the Northern small town lifestyle including all of the "perks" that comes with it such as "world class" customer service, -40 degree celsius weather, witnessing "child labour", counting moose from a helicopter, and impregnating fish, just to name a few.

Have his experiences changed him? Find out in this hilarious book where Mason shares his stories (and opinions) in his infamous sarcastic style of writing