Duncan Cree

Duncan Cree
Nation: 
Mohawk - Kahnesatake
Type(s) of Engineering: 
Mechanical
School(s) Attended: 
Concordia University
Degree(s): 
B. Eng. in Mechanical Engineering
Job title: 
Airworthiness Engineer (Engineer-In-Training)
Favourite thing about job: 

"It's the challenge, when a design problem is given to you, you have to figure out the best approach to solve it."

Duncan Cree has some good and surprising advice he wants to share with students, "Be prepared mentally to do a course a second time. Don't think that you've failed a course because you're not smart enough, maybe your study skills just need some improvement."

In 1999, Duncan graduated from Concordia University in Montreal with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. Since then he has been busy working at the National Research Council's (NRC) Flight Research Lab in Ottawa as an Engineer-In-Training. The most significant project he has had the opportunity to work on at NRC involved the study of load cells, a device which measures the force a pilot has to apply on the rudder pedals in a helicopter.

In high school, Duncan wanted to be a car mechanic like his father. But with the advice of a high school teacher, he went to study aircraft mechanics and then on to university. He decided to pursue an engineering degree in university because he really likes "technical problem solving and being challenged."

Duncan knows that, "Some people fear a higher education will change you and make you into a different person or make you think like a non-native." For him, this was not the case at all. Because of school, he overcame low self-esteem and gained more confidence in himself, this was one of his greatest accomplishments as a student.

Duncan knows that school is tough, especially when you're shy like he is, but he got through it with a lot of hard work, determination, and by staying focused on what his goals were. He hopes that more Aboriginal young people choose to pursue post-secondary education because it helps First Nations communities by developing businesses and infrastructure which ultimately lead to communities becoming self-sufficient.

In his own time, Duncan enjoys travelling back home to Kahnesatake to fish, hunt and ride on his ATV. He also takes some time to help Elders in his community by doing odd chores for them like mowing their lawn or taking them shopping.

Since being interviewed Duncan has returned to school to get his Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering.