Wendy Jocko - Wikiwand

Wendy Jocko (born 1959/1960)^[1] is a former chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, and a former sergeant of the Canadian Armed Forces.^[2]

Jocko was born in Pembroke, Ontario.^[3] to a military family.^[4] Her great-grandfather and his sons fought in the War of 1812.^[5] Her uncles served in World War I, while her father served in World War II. While in Europe, her father met Jocko's mother, who was a Scottish soldier.^[4] While living in Petawawa, at age 4, Jocko decided she wanted to be a soldier.^[3]^[6]

At age 15, Jocko began working for the post office as a sorter for mail and packages.^[1]

Career

In 1979, at age 19, Jocko joined the Canadian Armed Forces, where she served for 23 years.^[1]^[2] She trained at Canadian Forces Recruit School Cornwallis before being posted to CFB Edmonton as a supply technician.^[3] She was posted to Calgary in 1986, becoming one of the first women to serve at her base.^[6] She served two tours in Bosnia and Croatia in 1993 and 1998,^[3] where she worked as a United Nations peacekeeper.^[1]^[2] Her final deployment was in Haiti.^[3]

After leaving the military in 2002,^[3] Jocko moved to Scotland, where she worked as a funeral director and embalmer. She eventually became a regional director of the British Institute of Funeral Directors.^[1]

In 2013, Jocko returned to Canada.^[1] She worked in Saskatchewan as a tractor truck driver.^[1] In 2015, she reconnected with the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation.^[3]

She was elected chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation in 2020,^[1]^[4] and helped guide the community through the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[7] She was defeated in the 2023 tribal elections by Greg Sarazin.^[8] In 2024, she joined the board of directors at TriCycle Data Systems.^[9]

Personal life

Jocko has four children;^[1] her son, James McMullin, served with 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (1RCR).^[3]^[10]

In 2023, Jocko was awarded an honorary degree from Algonquin College.^[1] That same year, Elaine Goble painted a portrait of her as part of a series on Indigenous military veterans.^[10]

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Wendy Jocko awarded honorary degree from Algonquin College". Algonquin College. June 5, 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
1 2 3 "An Algonquin service-member was a UN peacekeeper in Croatia. Thirty years later, she's being honoured in a portrait by a prominent war artist". The Globe and Mail. 2023-04-19. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Sergeant (Ret'd) Wendy Jocko". Veterans Affairs Canada. 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
1 2 3 Mike, Jamin (2023-11-07). "Canadian First Nations veterans on what it means to serve". National Post. The Canadian Press.
↑ Gilchrist, David (2024-11-04). "Valour & Victory: Landscape of Nations ceremony recognizes Indigenous Veterans Day". Niagara-on-the-Lake Local. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
1 2 Tran, Cindy (2022-11-08). "Chief reflects on the legacy of Indigenous women who served in the military". MooseJawToday.com. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
↑ Sandy (2021-11-17). "MEET THE CHIEF: Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation Chief Wendy Jocko says it took the community to keep COVID-19 out". The Turtle Island News. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
↑ Porter, Kate (March 27, 2023). "Greg Sarazin voted new chief of Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation". CBC News.
↑ "Wendy Jocko joins TryCycle Data Systems Board of Directors". TryCycle Data Systems. 2024-07-03. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
1 2 Fleurie, Terry (2023-04-25). "Portrait of Indigenous military veterans includes Wendy Jocko of Pikwakanagan". The Eganville Leader. Retrieved 2023-08-24.

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