Lillian Dyck

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Lillian Eva Quan Dyck, BA, MSc, PhD (born August 24 1945 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian senator from Saskatchewan. She was appointed to the senate on the recommendation of Prime Minister Paul Martin on March 24, 2005.

Upon appointment, Dyck wished to sit as a New Democratic Party senator, but the party immediately indicated it would not recognize her as a member of the NDP caucus: as the party platform specifically favours abolition of the Senate, it refused to confer legitimacy on the body by accepting Dyck; additionally, Dyck's membership in the NDP was revealed to have lapsed. Under the rules of the Senate, senators are free to designate themselves however they see fit, and so Dyck continues to style herself as a New Democrat, albeit from outside caucus as an Independent NDP Member.

Before being appointed to the Senate, Dyck was a neuroscientist with the University of Saskatchewan where she is also associate dean. On March 12, 1999, Dyck, who is of Cree and Chinese heritage and was one of the first Aboriginal women in Canada ever to pursue an academic career in the sciences, was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. She continues to teach at the university as well as conduct research on a part-time basis.

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