Terry Poucette
West Coast Aboriginal Title Lands Co-Leader
Terry Poucette is from the Stoney-Nakoda First Nations of Treaty Seven in Alberta. Terry was raised on reserve by strong Stoney women in her family who taught her Nakoda culture and language.
While colonization has impacted education levels in First Nation communities, Terry admires their intellect and capability and believes that First Nations public administrations should be exclusively managed by Indigenous people. This conviction led Terry to pursue an education and career in First Nations public administration.
Terry has a BA in First Nations studies, a master’s degree in public administration and a doctorate in public administration. For her dissertation, Terry researched good First Nations governance. This gave her the opportunity to learn from First Nation leaders, administrators, Elders and community members about the successes and challenges of First Nations public administration under an Indian Act regime. What Terry learned informed the title of her dissertation report: Effective First Nations Governance: Navigating the Legacy of Colonization.
Terry has spent most of her career as a senior manager of on-reserve First Nations organizations in Alberta and BC. After she got her doctorate, Terry was an assistant teaching professor and manager of the Diploma in Indigenous Community Development and Governance at the University of Victoria. She is currently the Team Lead for the Indigenous Relations Office, City of Calgary.
Terry is passionate about the need for First Nations to transition out of the Indian Act and implement their inherent right to self-governance. She believes that post secondary programs should support the management and leadership capacity that Indigenous people need to effectively run their administrations and prepare for self-governance. Terry works to educate the public about the harmful Indian Act and its impact on First Nations governance through publications and presentations. Her research is focused on ways that First Nations can leave the Indian Act and implement their inherent right to self-governance.