Lillian Dyck facts for kids

Lillian Eva Quan Dyck (born in 1945) is a retired Canadian senator who made history. She was the first female First Nations senator and the first Canadian-born senator with Chinese heritage. Her mother was from the Cree Gordon First Nation, and her father was a first-generation Chinese Canadian.

Before becoming a politician, Dr. Dyck was a successful neuroscientist, a scientist who studies the brain. She worked as a professor and researcher at the University of Saskatchewan. For her amazing work, she received a lifetime achievement award from Indspire in 1999.

Throughout her life, Dr. Dyck has been a powerful voice for fairness. She has fought for equal opportunities for women, Chinese Canadians, and Aboriginal peoples in school and at work.

A Challenging Childhood

Lillian Dyck was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Her father, Yok Lee Quan, was from China, and her mother, Eva Muriel Mcnab, was a Cree woman. Her mother had attended a residential school, which were schools set up to erase Indigenous culture.

Because of the racism at the time, Lillian's family often hid their Indigenous background to stay safe. Growing up, her family was usually the only non-white family in the small towns where they lived. She had little connection to her First Nations relatives, who mostly lived on reserves.

Her father ran a Chinese cafe, and Lillian helped out by waitressing and doing other jobs. She went to high school at Swift Current Collegiate Institute, where her teachers encouraged her to attend university.

A Career in Science and Education

Lillian was a brilliant student. She earned three degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, including a Ph.D. in Biological Psychiatry in 1981. This made her an expert on the brain and how it works.

As a neuroscientist, she researched how certain medicines could help treat brain disorders and strokes. She was one of the first Aboriginal women in Canada to have a career as a scientist. Even after becoming a senator, she continued to teach and do research part-time.

A Voice in the Senate

In 2005, Prime Minister Paul Martin appointed Lillian Dyck to the Senate of Canada. The Senate is a part of Canada's government that reviews laws. Senators are chosen to represent different regions of the country.

Working with Political Parties

When she first joined the Senate, Dyck wanted to be part of the New Democratic Party (NDP). However, the NDP has a policy of wanting to get rid of the Senate, so they did not officially accept her into their group, or caucus. So, she called herself an Independent NDP senator.

In 2009, she joined the Liberal caucus. Then, in 2014, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau decided that all Liberal senators should become independent. This meant they were no longer part of the official party group, though they still called themselves the Senate Liberal Caucus. In 2019, this group changed its name to the Progressive Senate Group.

Fighting for Important Causes

As a senator, Dr. Dyck focused on issues close to her heart. She worked to protect Aboriginal women from violence and to bring attention to the problem of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

She was also a strong voice for women in science and for improving education and job opportunities for Aboriginal people. Dr. Dyck successfully pushed for changes in the law to make sure judges give tougher sentences to people who commit violent crimes against Indigenous women.

She also helped pass a law called Bill S-3. This important bill helped thousands of First Nations women and their children get back their official "Indian status," which many had lost because of unfair old laws.

A Lasting Inspiration

Lillian Dyck's life has inspired others. A play called Café Daughter, written by Kenneth T. Williams, tells a story based on her childhood. In 2023, this play was turned into a movie called Café Daughter by Mohawk filmmaker Shelley Niro.