AFN 2SLGBTQ+ Council Representative
Duane Gastant' Aucoin
Duane Gastant’ Aucoin is a Wolf/Yanyedi member of the Teslin Tlingit Council and recently returned home from Vancouver, BC.
He received training from his elders as the lead singer/drummer/dancer for the Deslin Khwan Dancers in the Yukon and has performed with them throughout Canada and the US since 1996.
Aucoin received formal schooling in the First Nation Theatre Training taught by nationally acclaimed director Carol Grey-Eyes. He is currently performing “Cash Creek Charlie” along with Sharon Gramma Susie” Shorty in the stand-up comedy routine “Susie & Charlie”. He has also starred in the First Nation’s Theatre Production “Raven’s Tale” in Whitehorse, Yukon, which he also co-wrote and directed. This was featured on APTN’s NEDAA.
Aucoin produced/directed/wrote/starred in “Kichx Anagaat Yatx’i: Children of the Rainbow,” a celebration of two-Spirited peoples that integrated both live and digital video pieces into one 90-minute production. The world premiere was at the 2003 Out On Screen Queer Film & Video Festival in Vancouver. It won the top award of “Audience Favorite for Best Feature”. It has played at various venues across the country and has received much acclaim and publicity.
Aucoin won the 2003 XtraWest’s Community Achievement Award for Achievement in the Arts for Children on the Rainbow. He was also a nominee for the 2003 Vancouver Entrepreneur of the Year, “Education” Category.
In 2004 Aucoin was the associate producer for the Our City Our Voices Project with the National Film Board of Canada, a Storyscapes Project designed by Kamala Todd. This project helped the First Nations People living in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside tell their own story and share it with the general public. He received an international award by being named the “International Two-Spirit Male Warrior” at the 19th International Two-Spirit Gathering held in Saskatchewan, 2007. As part of his duties he publicly speaks on issues pertaining to Two-Spirited People, their history, duties and their rights in First Nations Society.
Aucoin recently completed his latest documentary entitled “My Own Private Lower Post”. In which he journeys with his mother, Vicky Bob, who is a survivor of Residential School, to discover how he too is a survivor. This healing look at the inter-generational effects of Residential School has been quoted as being “enjoyable, emotional and historic” (Whitehorse Star review). This production has screened international and has moved all who have watched it with it’s simple story of love and forgiveness. It has also screened at all the National Events for the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. Duane promised his mother Vicky before she passed away in 2011 that he would continue telling “our story”.
In 2012 he was awarded with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. Both his Tlingit and Acadian Peoples have not had the best relationship with the Crown but Duane decided to receive the medal on behalf of both his peoples. “In the past the Crown colonized & deported my Peoples…now they give us medals. This is for them!” explained Duane.
Aucoin is currently performing solo & with Sharon Shorty at various venues around the country as well as working on new video productions. But his most important work continues to be supporting his elders in his community of Teslin to help bring back his Inland Tlingit Language & Culture. He is currently his Yanyeidi Clans representative on the Teslin Tlingit Executive Council.