Mentor and Traditional dancer Jacob Collard has been selected as a finalist for the 2023 National Indigenous Times Indigenous Community Leadership Award.
Mr Collard has worked educating senior management in Acacia Prison, WA Police Force, Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Communities Child Protection and Family Services where he has promoted policies, processes and programs to build the capability of Aboriginal Services.
He currently works with probationary constables where he mentors them on treating everyone with respect, compassion and empathy.
"I have always aspired to respect all people from all walks of life, treat all the way you'd like to be treated and always strive to achieve the unachievable," Mr Collard said.
Mr Collard eventually hopes the constables will go on to teach these attributes to the next generations of police officers.
"Throughout my many lines of work I have been fortunate enough to change perspectives through lived experience and education through wanting to learn about my people's culture," he said.
Besides his work with the police force, Mr Collard is also a lead dancer for Djoona and actively participates in dances with his younger brothers and cousins.
His cultural dance group consists of five children that were in the care of the state in Armadale. Inspired to help connect the children to cultural dancing, Mr Collard spent months rehearsing, learning language, making traditional paint (ochre) and yarning with community leaders.
"I have led many traditional dances for my family and children in care of the state (Child Protection and Family Services)," he said.
"We came together and did a dance for all the staff. [They] all displayed courage, strength and pride in who they were as young Aboriginal men."
Another passion for Mr Collard is advocating for diversion for young Aboriginal children in the justice system. He has spoken out about diverting children to Country-based programs, and away from imprisonment, to learn about culture by a respected Aboriginal man or women.
Mr Collard prides himself on resilience, persistence, integrity, trust, empathy and compassion.
