At the Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia, Douglas McKinnon is engineering his future and studying engineering. A member of Crow/Raven clan, from Haines Junction in Yukon Territory, he is in his third year of a bachelor’s degree in materials engineering, which includes a mix of mechanical, chemistry, stoichiometry and hydrometallurgy, ore processing, and materials design. The versatile program has applications in aerospace, mining and the ability to move around is what made it particularly attractive to McKinnon.

When he finishes his studies, he’s hoping to travel more, learn more about his traditional culture and do a First Nations language immersion program so he can learn his traditional language. Eventually, he hopes he will be able to use his skills to help his home community, maybe opening a machine shop when he retires.

Coming from a small town, McKinnon had to do his last few years of high school out of town. One year he went to school in Whitehorse and a couple of years he did in Victoria over the pandemic at a boarding school that ended up locked down. There were a lot of social issues stemming from being cooped up that made the situation worse but he did get to bring a friend home when restrictions were lifted. While he got the education he needed to get into UBC, some of the coursework wasn’t up to date and he is a year behind in math. All of that made the engineering year tricky for him but he’s had neat opportunities like working with a design team to create a blade for a competition.

The dagger is based off a traditional copper dagger from his traditional territory with a handle made from diamond willow and it’s going to integrate a sheep’s horn as a pommel. The blade itself will be made from steel folded over itself to make a pattern called Damascus. The blade and handle will each have ring patterns built into them and there’s a beaded moose hide sheath that goes with it. After months of testing and tinkering with techniques and processes, they created the blade and started refining it.

Outside of school, McKinnon enjoys mountain biking, hunting moose or bison, spending time at his cabin and spending time outdoors. Hunting is something he likes to do with his dad and family or with the Junior Rangers. After doing summer camp with the Rangers and enjoying it in the past, he’d considered joining them in the future when he moves home.

When it comes to inspiration, McKinnon thinks of his family and friends and of his First Nation which is self-governing and not part of the Indian Act. His grandfather who was involved with Yukon politics and who motivated him to pursue his education and follow his dreams inspired him, too. Even missing home, he’s so glad to be studying engineering and for the encouragement of his family.

His advice for students thinking about leaving their home community to head to the city is to find a good friend group, connect with Indigenous groups on campus, and stay connected to culture. “Folks back home will always be there to support you, and you'll always have them. It's worth it to go out when you can and pursue your dreams, because they'll always be there and you can always go back,” he encourages. He says to stay in touch and go home for Christmas. Academically, McKinnon suggests taking things at your own pace and not worrying about trying to keep up. He also says you don’t have to jump into school right away; lots of people pursue degrees later in life and it’s equally valid.

If he could give his younger self advice it would be to get out and get active and spend less time playing video games. Having an activity to help him stay fit or a sports team to play on would have been something he would have enjoyed. “Keep active while you’re young,” he would say.

While enjoying the Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia, Douglas McKinnon is engineering his future and studying materials engineering.  Inspired by his nation, his family and friends, he’s pursuing his passion. Far from his home of Haines Junction, he’s closer to making his dreams a reality, missing his people but reaching for his goals.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.

November 2024 Updates: Douglas is now on co-op with a civil engineering firm, Associated Engineering, out of Whitehorse, Yukon. He has also taken the time to reconnect and get involved in projects related to energy and the North and how his nation can help to locally develop a greener future. Coming home has allowed him to reconnect and support his community more directly, and has been a good reminder of what he considers important.