Lucille Duncan is originally from Binche Whut’en, a small community on Stuart Lake in the Fort St. James area of northern B.C.
Duncan is Dakelh (Carrier) and belongs to the Bear clan. She is a residential school survivor and said she had to overcome many challenges to achieve her numerous life successes.
In 2005, Duncan received her social work diploma from the College of New Caledonia and received her mental health and addiction certificate from UNBC.
Since her graduation Duncan has been employed at Central Interior Native Health Society (CINHS) as the aboriginal support worker and now as an elder wellness / educator.
At CINHS, Duncan has worked with a wide range of health care providers, social workers, outreach support workers, mental health clinicians, and administration. This work has allowed health care professionals to understand the impacts of residential schools, systemic racism, and how to break down barriers of care.
Duncan is known to share ideas on how providers can maintain positive therapeutic relationships with their clients and has been very instrumental in shaping decolonizing practices.
She has various training such as conflict resolution, uncovering the layers of stigma, provincial violence prevention and awareness of peer pressures. Additionally, Duncan works with many community partners in Prince George and surrounding areas as an advocate or in a working group.
She also previously worked in her remote community in the local school as a language teacher, school guidance counselor and a substitute teacher.
Afterwards, in 2012, she was employed by aboriginal education department at SD57 where she gained further skills in developing indigenous curriculum and sharing her culture and stories.
She was an elected school trustee for SD91, the Nechako Lakes District in 2014 and served until 2018.
She said these four years allowed her to gain experience in developing and implementing policies in a collaborative team of educators and administration.
Duncan said her primary interest has always been in the education system and health system to ensure that since we are in the era of truth and reconciliation that Indigenous perspective is being inclusive for the well-being of all Indigenous people.
She said she feels that she can bring her two eyed perspectives as an educator, make decisions as a team and ensure that safety policies are inclusive for all people.
When she is not working; she is busy raising her two granddaughters and enjoys traveling to her traditional territory gathering and harvesting her traditional food and teaching her Dakelh language.
On Saturday June 17, voters will have to elect two candidates to fill the vacant seats on SD57’s board of education left by the resignations of Prince George trustees Betty Bekkering and Gillian Burnett.
