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 recently won an “Honorable Mention” at the 2009 Vancouver Queer Film Festival for the best BC Short. His next production that is in the works continues his journey of healing, this time with his father. Both Aucoin & his father, Cyril, grew up knowing nothing about their Acadian heritage. In 2010 they will both travel back to Acadia and explore their rich and vibrant Acadian culture together. Aucoin being a “1/2 Breed” being of both Tlingit and Acadian heritage, he hopes that strengthening his appreciation of both his cultures will help him to be complete. It is also hoped that in their Acadian culture both father and son will find the strength to heal and have final closure. 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 currently represents his Yanyeidi Clan on the Teslin Tlingit Executive Council.