Dreamcatcher

Tom Jackson hooks
Courage to Lead award

By Jeanette Stanfield

Tom Jackson, recipient of ICA Canada’s 2013 Courage to Lead Award, was born on the One Arrow First Nation reserve in Saskatchewan. From his early years growing up on air force bases, he was often the guy who opened the door, opened the fridge, prepared food for his friends and, following in his parents’ footsteps, made himself available for anyone in need.

He left school at 15 and lived on the back streets of Winnipeg for several years, an experience that laid the foundation of his character. As an early activist for native causes, he was in South Dakota in 1973 during the infamous Wounded Knee standoff. Realizing that he could affect more people with a song than with a gun, Jackson began producing public affairs and native-rights programs for the CBC in Edmonton and Winnipeg.

In 1987, homeless on the streets of Toronto, he became addicted to cocaine and ended up living in a crawl space under the drug dealer’s house.  It was in the midst of this misery that Tom chanced upon an “angel” who saved his life.  At around 2am, Tom came across another homeless man lying motionless on the street.  He stopped and asked him if he was ok.  The man’s eyes were open but he couldn’t speak.  Tom summoned an ambulance. The homeless man on the street survived and so did the homeless man in the crawl space.  Tom says: “He saved my life, because I found helping him saved me.”  That is how Tom found his new higher than high.  “I became addicted to saving lives.”

When there’s trouble or trauma, Tom steps up with ideas to alleviate hunger, give a voice to Aboriginal youth or bring awareness to youth suicide.

In his conversations with children, he sees a thirst - a thirst for knowledge.  “It is up to us whether they drink pure or salty water for they will drink regardless,” says Tom, citing ancient wisdom from the elders.  “Our children cannot live in the past but they do need to carry their stories and bring them into the present.”

“We also need to teach our children to have a voice. We do this by exercising our own voice. If we take care of our little ones and our elders, the rest will take care of itself.”  And with that, he picked up his guitar and sang a beautiful rendition of the Huron Carole.
His 10-year Dreamcatcher Tour, with its positive messages about stress, mental health, suicide prevention and coping, focuses on empowering Aboriginal youth and high-school students to create opportunities for themselves.

Recently, he relaunched the Huron Carole hunger concerts.  “Here we are with an opportunity to fight this silent disease called hunger and help feed the children of this country, and provide a vehicle for citizens, to participate in narrowing the gap between the haves and the have-nots,” he says. “You don’t have to change the whole world, you just have to change your world, and the rest will follow.”

When Tom became Chancellor of Trent University in 2009, he reflected on his life work: “The Creator has blessed me, challenged me, given me the opportunities that allow me to effect change, to help improve the quality of life for those who are needy and hungry, not just for food, but also for knowledge.”

An accomplished singer and award-winning actor, Tom has changed lives with his music, humour and compassion. ICA Canada is deeply honoured to give him the 2013 Courage to Lead Award.

Jeanette Stanfield is a member of ICA Associates: Canada