On September 18 the 2019-20 Indigenous Speakers Series opened with Jesse Thistle, a Métis-Cree-Scot from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. His bestselling memoir, From the Ashes (Simon and Schuster Canada), chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is. His scholarship is focused on intergenerational and historic trauma of the Métis people, and also reflects on his own past struggles with homelessness. Jesse is widely recognized in the scholarly community and beyond. He holds an MA in History from Waterloo and is an Assistant Professor of Métis Studies at York University. Visit Jesse Thistle's website.
At the Speaker event, he spoke about his research on his own family's history as Métis. Watch the full presentation: