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Trent University will recognize two outstanding First Nations members with honorary Doctor of Laws degrees at Convocation Friday June 2.
Canadian actor Tom Jackson will be honoured for his outstanding achievements as an actor and musician as well as his leadership and commitment to humanitarian work. Writer and filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin will be recognized for her work in exploring social issues that help define life for aboriginal peoples in Canada.
Born in New Hampshire, Obomsawin grew up on Quebec's Odanak reserve and has toured extensively in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. She has made many documentaries exploring the work of community organizations and also shown her concern with the struggles of native youth entering the urban arena. Highly regarded as a speaker, teacher and filmmaker, Obomsawin spent two years travelling the globe for festival screenings of Kanehsatake: 270 years of resistance, an award winning feature-length film documenting the 1990 Mohawk uprising in Kanehsatake and Oka. For more than 30 years she has worked with the National Film Board, directing documentaries with strong social content. She has won numerous awards and honours, including honorary degrees and membership in the Order of Canada. Jackson, known best for his starring role on television's North of 60, was born on the One Arrow reserve in Saskatchewan and raised in Winnipeg. Music is his first love, but he feels his true calling is to help people in need. This fact is evidenced by his annual Huron Carole Benefit Series Tour which raises money for food banks across Canada, his Red River Relief Effort, a special cross-Canada tour to increase awareness about teenage suicide, and support for numerous charitable causes which take up about six months of each year. Jackson is described as an initiator, with several projects always on the go and more in the "let's do it" stage. From music to business, acting to disaster relief, his keen sense of helping wherever he can prevails. He holds honorary degrees from a number of Canadian universities and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. |
