Marian Jacko, assistant deputy attorney general in Ontario’s Indigenous Justice Division, encouraged graduands to lead with courage and responsibility during a convocation ceremony where she received an honorary doctor of laws from 91ɫ.
In her current role, Jacko leads work focused on Indigenous justice and relationship-building with communities across Ontario. She previously served as Ontario’s children’s lawyer – the lead official responsible for representing the interests of children – becoming the first Indigenous woman to hold the role after a career in the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, where she helped shape programs and approaches serving children in Indigenous communities. She has also been a longtime advocate for Indigenous youth through her efforts with the Little Native Hockey League.
“Her ability to lead with empathy and conviction is deeply rooted in her lived experience and her commitment to traditional teachings,” said Joseph Silva, adjunct professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration, as he introduced her. “She has carried those teachings with her through an outstanding legal career and inspiring record of community leadership and public service.”
Jacko began her address by greeting graduands in Anishinaabemowin, introducing herself by her spirit name, Coming Down Woman, and noting she is a member of the Bear Clan. She then reflected on growing up in Wiikwemkoong First Nation.
She spoke about her parents, describing her father as a hunter, fisherman, trapper and farmer, as well as chief of police in their reserve, and her mother as a nurse at a local nursing home.
Growing up, she said, her family didn’t have much. “But what we did have, what my parents gave us, was something far greater,” she said. “They instilled in us a deep sense of responsibility to work hard, to care for one another and to be of service to community.”
That sense of duty took root early, she said, although she could not yet fully articulate it. She described seeing a future shaped by a desire to serve her community, while remaining uncertain where that path might lead.
She began her academic journey by pursuing an undergraduate degree in social work with no expectation of continuing her studies. But a possibility to attend law school emerged and it set her on a path that would see her go on to earn a master of laws at 91ɫ.
Jacko described how her eight-year academic journey was shaped by significant challenges and sacrifice. As a single parent with a young child, she moved more than 500 kilometres to Toronto without knowing anyone. Later, she was pregnant with her first daughter while working full-time as a lawyer and pursuing her master's degree. Two years later, she graduated while pregnant with her second.
During that time, she said, she struggled with feelings of guilt, having spent the first eight years of her child’s life in school and questioning whether she had given him a strong foundation. She also described feeling conflicted when she was called to the Ontario Bar and had to explain her path to her parents.
“Imagine trying to explain that you spent nearly a decade studying laws, policies and systems, many of which have harmed our people and continue to do so,” she said. “Now imagine having no words to explain why you're doing what you're doing, but you know deep in your core, in your soul, that this is exactly what you're supposed to do.”
Her sense of purpose became more clear after joining the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, she said, where her efforts focused on advocating for children and responding to the needs of Indigenous communities. Over time, that work led her to take on increasingly senior roles within the justice system, including becoming the first Anishinaabe woman appointed Ontario’s children’s lawyer, before moving into her current role leading efforts focused on Indigenous justice and strengthening relationships with groups across the province.
She returned to the subject of her parents, who have passed away, telling graduands she wishes she could speak with them again – this time able to explain the purpose that drove her studies and career. “I would tell them why I studied so hard, why I carried this quiet, relentless need inside me to learn, to understand, to make sense of it all,” she said.
“I would want them to know that I was trying to understand the very systems that shaped their lives and ours, so that in some way I could help make things better.”
She added that, above all, she would want them to understand how deeply her journey was rooted in what they had given her.
“I would want them to know that everything I was searching for, everything I was trying to understand was rooted in them, in the life they gave me, in the sacrifices they made, in the strength they carried so that we could survive, rooted in the lessons they taught us about hard work, about service, about dignity.”
Jacko encouraged graduands to lead with courage – something she did by drawing on lessons learned from her parents.
“When I think about courage, I don't see it as a single act,” she said. She defined courage as grounded in duty – standing beside those whose voices are often unheard and choosing not to look away from injustice. It involves listening deeply, she said, and making space for others and the knowledge carried across generations.
She added that courage is also rooted in hope.
“It is continuing to advocate, to show up and believe that change is possible, even when it takes time,” she said.
Jacko’s parting words for graduands drew on guidance she has received from elders. “Our elders encourage us to think until we feel. They remind us to consider the impact of our decisions and any change in direction on the next seven generations,” she said.
“Let us walk with intention and be mindful of the path we leave behind, because if we move too quickly, we risk creating dust, and those who come after us – those future generations – may lose their way. Let us walk with purpose, and let us strive in all that we do to make our ancestors proud.”