Age: 38
Occupation: Indigenous relations advisor, Town of Okotoks
When Desmond Jackson took a walk with his five-year-old daughter through the town of Okotoks in 2022, it gave him clarity on an inner conflict. At the time, Jackson was serving as an RCMP officer and was questioning whether working in policing aligned with his Indigenous identity.
During the walk, Jackson’s daughter asked why there were no signs of the Blackfoot in Okotoks — in fact, the name is an anglicized version of the Blackfoot word óóhkotok, meaning “rock.” Jackson emailed the town and offered to put up his personal tipi to host the town’s mayor, Tanya Thorn, and chief administrative officer, Elaine Vincent, during an event for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation to educate the community about Blackfoot culture.
Later in 2022, Jackson left his 13-year career with the RCMP to work for the Town of Okotoks as its Indigenous relations advisor.
“There was a conflict between my personal morals, who I was as a Niitsitapi, as a Blackfoot man, and enforcing as a police officer,” says Jackson. “It became very clear that I needed to serve my people in a different way than what I was doing.”
Jackson ensures that Indigenous culture and teachings are included in municipal decisions and policy through his role as Indigenous relations advisor. He hosts the annual Powwow, Tipi Camp & All-Indigenous Artisan Market (which saw 32,000 people attend in 2026), and even established the town’s first 2SLGBTQIA+ monument and memorial site.
Jackson is also a Blackfoot ceremonialist and knowledge keeper, an honour passed to him from his grandparents, Elders Reg and Rose Crowshoe, which includes the responsibility of caring for children and youth. He works closely with Piikani Child and Family Services to support youth through grounding cultural practices.
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