Alexander Duncan

Doctor of Philosophy in Science in Oceans and Fisheries
(Sept 2021 - Sept 2025) | he/him/his

Aanii, Alexander Duncan ndizhnikaaz, Niigaanweywidan nindigoo ojibwemong, waabizheshii ndoodem, Neyaashiinigmiing ndoonjbaa. Hi, I am Alexander Duncan (Niigaanweywidan - spirit name), and I am member of the Marten clan, from the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and the larger Saugeen Ojibway Nation, Ontario. Coming from a fishing nation where water and fish remain a vital component of culture and life, I have committed my academic career to meaningfully contribute and support Indigenous fisheries across Turtle Island, especially given the rising tensions over resource access and Indigenous rights across Canada and the US.

In 2020, I received a MSc in Forestry from Lakehead University, where I conducted a community-based investigation into Saugeen Ojibway Nation-based ecological knowledge on cisco (Coregonus spp.) populations in Lake Huron. To date, I have worked extensively with my home community on a series of community-based research initiatives including Together with Giigoonyag, Bima'azh, Fish Stocking Review with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and a Great Lakes Fishery Commission-funded project titled, “Engaging traditional indigenous knowledge and scientific analysis to examine the role of lake trout in recent declines of lake whitefish.”

These projects have in part been influenced by the methodological approach I used for my Master’s research. My time with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation has led to numerous collaborations with several agencies, Tribes, and First Nations across the Great Lakes. I currently sit on the International Association for Great Lakes Research’s Board of Directors as the Canadian Student Member. In 2021, I was the proud recipient of the Social Sciences and Humanities Canada Graduate Scholarship (Doctoral) and the University of British Columbia Aboriginal Graduate Fellowship. Most recently, I was appointed to sit on the Tri-Council’s ‘Indigenous Leadership Circle in Research’.

Email : a.duncan[at]oceans.ubc.ca | Twitter : @alextduncan