Heather Latter
Jeremy Jordan of Couchiching First Nation is living a clean and sober lifestyle, focused in his aboriginal traditional culture, to be a role model and bring about positive change in his community.
The 21-year-old sits on the Couchiching Leadership group, the Grand Council Treaty #3 Youth Council, Lands and Resources Committee, has co-chaired two chiefs’ assemblies in Kenora, has attended various forums and conferences as a youth representative for Couchiching, and ran for a seat on the band council (although he was not elected last month).
“I like keeping occupied and doing positive things,” Jordan explained.
“Our main motivation is the provide a safe environment for youth, and to provide alternatives to going out drinking and doing drugs and all that stuff,” he said about the youth leadership group he is involved with.
“We’re always busy,” he added. “We organize basketball tournaments, talent shows, or bring in other musicians.”
Jordan, also known as “Mack Sickz,” keeps busy as a hip-hop artist, as well, which he uses as another means to portray his positive attitudes.
“Don’t get what I do confused with the stereotypical rappers, rapping about all the bad stuff you hear about,” he stressed.
“What I do is I take my own life story and I put it into the art form of lyrics and song.”
Growing up, Jordan never knew his father and his mother wasn’t always around, so music always was his form of venting.
“Just something to get my feelings out,” he explained, noting he started getting into music around age 14 and has continued with it ever since.
In fact, he has several songs available on YouTube.
“It feels really good when my music can reach out to people,” Jordan remarked, citing a guy from Toronto told him that one of his songs really helped him out through a hard time when a family member was battling cancer.
“He put on one of my songs from YouTube and just let it play over and over. It just kept him calm.”
About a year later, Jordan said the guy finished up school and became his manager.
“Before I even signed the contract, he had a gig hooked up for me,” he recalled. “He flew me out to Toronto and I played at the Canadian Aboriginal Festival.”
Jordan knows he is a role model for the youth of his community.
“My biggest concern is that I am careful in my decision-making because there are kids who look up to me,” he said, noting he feels expected to do good things because people have high expectations of him, but that it feels good.
“I get a lot of good support from the community,” he stressed, though adding being a role model can bring a lot of pressure.
“At times it gets tough because you are afraid to make a mistake, and if you do make a mistake that everyone will judge you or scold you,” he admitted.
Yet Jordan is pleased with the positive changes he already is seeing by being involved in different groups.
“There’s lots of good things happening,” he enthused. “Youth are starting to come out and get involved.
“And I’d like things to continue in a positive direction.
“Sometimes it seems people turn to the wrong things. And that’s what I’d like to see change,” he remarked.
He said having seen family members going down the wrong path, he knew he didn’t want that for himself.
“I want to make my family proud. I want to live a clean and sober lifestyle,” he stressed.
The aboriginal traditional culture has been a strong influence for Jordan, especially traditional drumming.
He also has a passion for travelling, and drumming has allowed him to travel to Albuquerque, N.M. on four separate occasions.
“Drumming is something that just sticks in my system,” he reasoned.
Due to his positive influences, Jordan also will be featured in a documentary by Wawatay Television about traditional lifestyles.
“They have been following me around, seeing the things I do on a day-to-day basis,” he explained.
As well, those interested in seeing Jordan perform live will have a chance to do so next Monday (March 12) when he’ll take to the stage during a two-day youth conference at the Couchiching multi-use facility.
Organizers are bringing in another well-known group from Winnipeg to perform, too.
While Jordan plans to continue to focus on his music, as it is something he loves to do, he also wants to remain close to home and work on bettering his community.
“I just want the youth to know that there are other ways to deal with pain and anger,” he stressed.
“There are hobbies and different resources in the community instead of masking it with drugs and alcohol.”
