Carol Ducharme

Carol is a Saulteaux community member of Keeseekoose First Nation. She has an interdisciplinary background in Dental Hygiene, Adult Education, Indigenous Education, Indigenous pedagogies, and curriculum integration. Her work is grounded in relational values, lived experience, and the Indigenous perspectives and teachings received through relationships with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, communities, and learners. Her experience spans across post-secondary education, Indigenous community engagement, faculty development, and project management. She currently teaches part-time in Indigenous Studies at Durham College.

She holds a Master of Education (Post-Secondary Studies), a Bachelor of Education (Aboriginal Adult Education), and a Diploma in Dental Hygiene, along with additional training in health, mental health, and trauma-informed approaches. In her university-facing work, she supports faculty in integrating Indigenous perspectives, knowledge, and pedagogies into curriculum, teaching practice, and student learning experiences.

Sharing knowledge and responsibilities is a central motivator in her work. She supports learning spaces where Indigenous knowledge is approached with humility, accountability, respect, and reciprocity. In a previous role as Assistant Director of Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Toronto, she supported reconciliation-focused initiatives, Indigenous programming, and a community language revitalization project with Curve Lake First Nation.

Carol is also the co-author of an article on ethical Indigenous engagement in higher education, emphasizing that respectful, community-guided partnerships begin with listening, trust, humility, and reciprocity. https://forum.academica.ca/forum/building-relationships-before-research-a-four-step-framework-for-ethical-indigenous-engagement-in-higher-education

 (external link) Faculty are encouraged to connect with Carol for guidance and collaborative support related to Indigenous integration in university courses, programs, and learning environments. She is a true believer in collaboration who values working alongside others, sharing ideas, and learning together in ways that build meaningful relationships and collective understanding.