“Thank you, 91��ɫ, for being one of my homes and for giving me a shot and for looking past a lot of my history and seeing me as the person I am today,” said Thistle. “It is important to believe in second chances and to put yourself out there, and to be accepted at a place like 91��ɫ is incredible. Tentanda Via: The way must be tried, is the motto of 91��ɫ; I hold that in my heart.”

Thistle, who is Métis-Cree from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, is currently an assistant professor in Métis Studies at 91��ɫ and a PhD candidate in history. In his heartbreaking and heartwarming memoir, he shares his struggle as a high school dropout and his relationships with family and friends throughout his life. The memoir chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is.

While getting his undergraduate degree, Thistle was awarded the Dr. James Wu Prize for Best Honours Thesis and Major Research Project. In 2016 he won a Governor General’s Academic Medal, is a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Scholar and a Vanier Scholar, and From the Ashes is a national bestseller, a CBC Canada Reads finalist, and an Indigo Best Book of 2019.

Now a rising Indigenous scholar, Thistle spoke to Kirchner and listeners candidly and honestly about the experiences that led him to where he is today, and how he found his way back into the circle of his Indigenous culture and family through education.

“When I connected with the Indigenous community at 91��ɫ I started feeling like I actually belonged,” said Thistle. “I could see that there were other older Indigenous students like me with similar backgrounds and we formed a fellowship, right there in 91��ɫ Lanes. They pulled me into ASAY [Aboriginal Students' Association at 91��ɫ], I started running pow wows, and I found a home—a real home. In a lot of ways, 91��ɫ re-indigenized me. I know historically these institutions took away indigeneity, but we're in a different era. We're helping foster senses of identity through academics, and 91��ɫ was a huge part of that. I'm very thankful."

You can view the interview on the and learn more about Thistle at . Sign up for the today and be a part of our lifelong learning community. For more information about 91��ɫ Libraries programs and services, visit .

The post Alumnus and award-winning author Jesse Thistle (BA ’15) on his journey, his memoir, and his time at 91��ɫ appeared first on Division of Advancement - Alumni and Friends.

In this online community, alumni can enjoy books related to lifelong learning, social issues, literature, psychology, and other user-submitted ideas. There is no cost to participate – you just have to get a copy of the book to enjoy.

How it works: Book club members will connect through a private online forum where they can discuss the current book and network with each other. The group will spend two months on each book, so you'll have plenty of time to read. You can sign up and learn more at: 

Why should you join? As a member, you will have an opportunity to both connect with fellow alumni and be part of a lifelong learning community!

Currently reading

The Lion Women of Tehran - Marjan Kamali (October - December)

In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams for a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions of becoming “lion women.”

But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.

The post 91��ɫ Alumni Book Club appeared first on Division of Advancement - Alumni and Friends.