Hear me out, Tommy McLeod

Tommy McLeod, grade 5, has already made a name for himself in Aklavik and around the ISR. You might have heard his voice at lunchtime, on CBC north radio on Fridays. His stories are about “long ago” (when he was three or four) and more current ones about having fun on the land.

“My mum’s friend at work faxed CBC and they called me, so I told them a story on air, and lots of people called in and there were lots of compliments about me. One person from Ulukhaktok said they should have me on every week. I’ve been on for the last four months. They haven’t paid me yet, but I got a tuque.”

Tommy has a very open face, and when he grins, his eyes crinkle. He is not afraid to tell you “I’m a good shot and a good archer. Slingshot? I’m pretty good at that,” and “I always go up on stage for talent shows and jig (‘one foot is better than the other’).”

His dad, Ian McLeod, is very proud of his son. He laughs as Tommy teased, “Sometimes I go to work with my dad. I help him a lot, without me on that porcupine chase, he wouldn’t have caught any porcupine. He probably would have gotten three quills in his butt! I trapped them in a corner and grabbed his shoe that fell off his feet. I grabbed all the sticks and the cage and gently pushed them in.”

There is something precious about how happy Tommy is, and his fearless confidence. He could also become the target of bullies because he is so outstanding. “When I was real small, I ended up getting sent home because they were really bothering and teasing me and I elbowed them in the stomach. They started crying. I just ignore them now, but when I was small I did that kind of stuff,” he said.

When he grows up, he wants to become a game designer. He is drawing a comic series about “a kid who’s father owns a sword shop, and there is a cloaked guy Leon, who releases crystals with dark, evil “D” monster powers. The kid has to destroy Leon before the ultimate beast is released and they destroy the world.” His favourite subject in school is Science Fair, and he can tell you how hydrogen and oxygen in the air react with magnetic fields and sunspots to make Northern Lights.