Jessica Elizabeth Paquette was born in Toronto, Ontario on May 20th, 1986 at the Women’s College Hospital. She attended elementary school in Toronto yet lived in the GTA, experiencing a childhood spread between two locations as part of the commuter culture. During her teens, she was a very serious student. “It wasn’t all about academics though,” she discloses, “I also dreamed of adventure.” She wanted to pursue a career in archaeology alongside her artistic passions. Education was her gateway to that dream. In 2009, Jessica E. graduated with an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto (U of T), completing a double major in Pre-historic Archaeology and Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations with a minor in Aboriginal Studies.

Archaeology satisfied her yearning to travel to exotic places and rewarded her with intellectual achievement. In 2006 she lived in Belize for six weeks, in a tent in the jungle, while excavating Mayan ruins. “It doesn’t get any more movie-like than that. I remember there being a lot of bugs…and howler monkeys that sounded like dinosaurs in the distance. It was an exciting period of my life, I excavated one of the most famous civilizations in the world and made lasting friendships,” she says. “When people ask me why I went into archaeology, I say it was because of Indiana Jones, to keep it simple, but the real reason runs deeper.

“Admittedly, it started with dinosaurs. I think a lot of kids want to be paleontologists growing up - but my focus changed to humans when I was in grade four,” says Jessica E. In grade four, she had a teacher that lectured about the ancient Egyptians and Easter Island. “When I learned about mummification, I thought it was the coolest thing that the ancient Egyptians pulled the brain out of the nose. Moving beyond that, I started asking questions. What compelled these ancients to construct the pyramids, giant structures built on the backs of men for the Pharaoh, a god on Earth? What compelled the people on Easter Island to carve massive human figures out of rock? How do we define ourselves through material culture? Why do we infuse inanimate objects, land, time and space with meaning to glean a social experience? What makes a human look up at the sky, or a river, or feel the wind at her back and think of a goddess or a god? How can a necklace or a piece of clothing hold a memory or define an era? These were questions that lay at the core of my being. What makes us human? It was a spiritual endeavor above everything else,” says Jessica E.

Her goal initially was to become an Egyptologist. However, as she continued her studies, her interest shifted to archaeology in Canada, both historic and Indigenous. But she couldn’t just study the past; she also had to study the present. She wanted to get the perspective of Aboriginal Peoples today, so she enrolled in several courses through the Aboriginal Studies Department at U of T. What she discovered scared her.

She learned about the legacy of the Residential School System and the devastating effects of colonization. She was deeply moved by the plight of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada. “It broke my heart to hear some of the stories of my peers, to hear the pain in their voices when they spoke of their lives on reserves. But then in them I saw strength, a desire to overcome adversity. It’s a beautiful thing. There was love. By participating in various ceremonies, potlucks, and listening to stories told by Elders, people were brought together and healed. Having a sense of humour also helped. It was inspiring.

“They were also very welcoming to me and they supported my art and music. They asked me to bring my guitar to campus, so I did. I played for my friends during Aboriginal Awareness Week a few times. They took me in and made me feel part of their community when I lacked one. They gave me a second home. I will not forget that. My singing made us happy, and it was then that I started to realize that I could do a lot more with my voice than writing a research paper, which can be exclusive to academia. Academia is great, don’t get me wrong. It’s important and necessary, but it touches those who can speak and understand big words, while music touches the world,” says Jessica E.

School was hard and often Jessica E. would find herself miserable because she wasn’t expressing herself creatively (among other reasons). The process of education can be rigid. She decided against returning to school for graduate work in order to pursue what she’s naturally good at: visual art, music, singing and writing.

Today, Jessica E. is pursuing her dreams. She believes in working hard to meet her goals. She does not know what the future holds, but the journey in its direction is an exciting one.