Jessica Dunkley
Vancouver, British Columbia
Métis
As a deaf family doctor, Jessica chooses to focus on the opportunities in life. She knows the importance of advocating for deaf people and Indigenous communities, who are not always represented in her line of work. To fulfill her love for medicine, Jessica is completing her training in dermatology. She works towards having more diversity in medical professions to eliminate discrimination in her field.
“In medicine we see people from all walks of life. We see people who do not have access to health for many reasons and one of the best ways to tackle that is to have people who have lived experiences.”
Both of Jessica’s parents grew up deaf, and her father attended residential school because it was the only institute where services were available for deaf students. Jessica connected most strongly with her culture through her extended family and grandfather, who fostered her love of the outdoors.
Today, Jessica is passing on her passion for and knowledge about the land to her daughter and looks forward to teaching her about their culture by hunting, foraging and canoeing with the rest of her family. She knows that communication is what brings people together, and she has been teaching her daughter American Sign Language since she was born. Indigenous sign language has always been present in North America and it’s important to embrace it.
