'We had to take a very firm stand': Trailblazing senator Lillian Dyck, first Indigenous woman to serve in role, retires

Sask. senator retires Watch: CTV Saskatoon’s Creeson Agecoutay on the retirement of Lillian Dyck, a strong voice for Indigenous people.

Saskatoon — After more than 15 years of representing Saskatchewan, Senator Lillian Dyck announced her retirement on the same day as her birthday.

She turned 75 on Monday, the mandatory age of retirement for senators.

“It’s really overwhelming. It reminds of when I was appointed. I wasn’t expecting people to be calling me when I retired and it’s really quite a surprise,” said Dyck.

In 2005, she recalls being very busy, working as a scientist at the University of Saskatchewan where she worked as a full professor in neuropsychiatry and as the associate dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Research. One day, she wrapped up one of her meetings to find a sticky note attached to her computer screen.

“It said, ‘Call the Prime Minister’ and I’m thinking 'Call the Prime Minister? Is this real? Is this a joke?' It was close to April first,” Dyck said.

“I spoke to Paul Martin’s executive assistant and Paul Martin wanted me as senator and I was totally shocked and I didn’t know what a senator did. I asked, ‘What would be my duties and responsibilities?’ He said, ‘Look it up on the web,' laughed Dyck who admits she only told her dog about the position as she was sworn to secrecy by the Prime Minister’s office before saying yes.

Dyck became the first female Indigenous senator to be appointed and the first Canadian-born Chinese senator. She served on a number of Senate committees and was chair of the Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples from 2015 to 2019.

A member of the George Gordon First Nation, some of Dyck’s more notable work included Bill S-3. The bill removed the sex-based inequities within the Indian Act which penalized Indigenous women who married non-Indigenous men.

“I think without our intervention, it would not have happened. We had to take a very firm stand,” said Dyck.

Dyck’s mother lost her Indian status because she married someone who was non-status. Dyck also lost her mother when she was only 10-years-old. She says much of her work has been done to honour her memory.

“When I was the university and I was facing harassment, I remember walking home one day just crying my heart out because it was so bad and then her spirit came to me and I literally stopped on the street and said ‘I’ll be damned if I’m going to let some man push me out of my job simply because I’m a woman.' because my mother went to residential school and if she can survive that and do what she did there was no way I was ever backing off again and that stayed with me since and it gives me that strength to keep at it,” Dyck said.

Dyck also spent much of her time in office bringing attention to the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and assisted with provisions to Bill C-75. It called for special consideration in the form of harsher sentencing for violent offences committed against Indigenous women.

“I’m really happy that happened because it really is a reflection of the reality that Indigenous women and other vulnerable people are more often victims of violence and yet our justice system pretends that everybody is treated equally and we know when those people are victims, too often the offender gets a lighter sentence and the victim is discounted,” Dyck said.

As Dyck retires, she hopes the federal government will move ahead on the recommendations from the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

“The report was released in June 2019; COVID-19 didn’t start until March. The federal government had 9 months to put together something and they didn’t so that was disappointing. The families and other advocacy groups will have to keep the pressure on to make sure something will happen,” Dyck said.

Her message to the youth is ‘don’t give up’ and keep pushing ahead and she’s blown away by today’s generation, as many are more equipped to be successful.

“You’re articulate; you’re educated in the mainstream colonial system, you’re proud of who you are, you know your culture, some of you know your language and man, the world is changing as a consequence. It’s tremendously inspiring.”

An avid bird watcher, Dyck looks forward to retirement and being at home, close to friends and family.

“I want to do as little as possible. I want to relax and do more bird watching, I gotta get out there and get my binoculars. I have catch up to all my messages on Facebook. Everyone’s messages just warm my heart.”