-Broken leg: This injury still affects Jesse's walking in the present. This also caused trauma surrounding surgery and made him worry about further operating on his leg to fix lasting damage.

• Jesse mentions in an interview on The Introverted Doctor, that his bad experience may have been a result of racist stereotypes towards indigenous people, assuming he was "drug-seeking" or that he has a higher pain threshold. Although, he also recognizes some of his struggles stemmed from his own stubbornness grown from his addiction and past trauma.

-Face injury: This was an injury he got during a fight where he was stabbed in the face with a steak knife, leading to him being arrested. He credits the arrest to being the one that "probably saved [his] life" (pg.279)

Jesse Thistle's father, Cyril "Sonny" Thistle, also significantly influenced his life through his presence and subsequent absence. When he was just 3 years old, Thistle was taught by Sonny to steal, which is a habit that remained with him throughout his childhood and adolecense. Additionally, Sonny's absence left Jesse with thoughts of self-blame and resentment growing up, creating a void in Jesse's life.

After winning a variety of writing awards, Jesse Thistle was approached with a request to write a book. With his collections of memories already in hand, Jesse Thistle remarks that it was almost an accident that From the Ashes came to be.

Link to the interview the quote was taken from:

https://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/how-writing-from-the-ashes-helped-canada-reads-author-jesse-thistle-make-sense-of-his-past-1.5492506#:~:text=I%20was%20trying%20to%20reconnect,larger%20narrative%20of%20my%20life.&text=%22It's%20been%20cathartic.

When asked about his father, Jesse Thistle mentions how he is dissapointed that no new information has come up.

Here is PDF of a work done by Jess Thistle on Indigenous Homelessness: https://homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/COHIndigenousHomelessnessDefinition.pdf

The abuse and neglect he endured led to deep feelings of anger, fear, and confusion. He struggled with feelings of rejection and isolation, which caused him to act out and ultimately led to him making destructive decisions in his life, such as wrecking his relationship with Karen, the one person who had a significant, positive impact on him. His relationship with his grandfather, combined with the emotional scars from his earlier experiences, fueled Jesse's struggles with addiction, homelessness, and disconnection from his family and heritage.

His grandfather wasn't a horrible person, he just used corporal punishment. I'm focusing on the bad part because that's what led to more of his adult experiences, but his grandfather also had some positive impacts on him. While Jesse lived with his grandparents, he learned about storytelling from his grandfather. When Jesse was eight, Cyril told him a fictional story about how the trees on a rocky mountain were ripped out. Jesse recounts in an interview at Western University his appreciation for this side of his childhood with his grandfather. Thistle says "...from my Grandpa I learned that stories have to be fantastic to keep people interested, but always with a moral purpose," in that interview in 2019. He discusses how learning how to tell stories effected his career significantly because it helped him to be able to write his memoir, tell stories to the public, and it aided in his success as an educational figure.

In essence, Cyril Thistle's abuse shaped much of Jesse's early life, influencing his behavior, self-image, and the challenges he would face as he later worked toward healing and reclaiming his identity, but his grandfather also had a positive impact on his career and eventually: his identity.

Jesse internalized many of the negative behaviors and attitudes associated with addiction. As a child, he often felt abandoned and neglected, which contributed to feelings of unworthiness and a lack of trust in others. This exposure to addiction not only created emotional trauma but also normalized destructive behaviors in his life. As he grew older, Jesse struggled with his own addiction issues, using substances as a way to cope with the pain, anger, and confusion he felt from his early experiences.

The cycle of addiction in his family set the stage for Jesse to fall into patterns of self-destructive behavior. He turned to drugs and alcohol as a means of escaping the trauma and emotional scars left by his father's addiction. The early exposure to addiction played a powerful role in shaping Jesse's own struggles with addiction.

This experience marked the beginning of a downward spiral for Jesse, as he was left without a stable home or support system. He ended up living on the streets, which exposed him to further trauma, including homelessness, addiction, and the harsh realities of survival. The emotional toll of being cast out made it even harder for him to trust others or form meaningful relationships.

The rejection by his family contributed to Jesse’s deep-seated belief that he was unworthy of love or care, and it led to a sense of self-loathing that would persist throughout his early adulthood. It also fueled his descent into substance abuse as a way to numb the pain of being abandoned. His struggles with homelessness and addiction were in many ways a result of the profound emotional wounds caused by being expelled from his grandparents' home. However, over time, Jesse would find a path to healing, but the impact of this experience remained a critical and formative part of his journey.

1. Exposure to addiction through his father: Jesse was raised in a family where addiction was prevalent, especially through his father’s alcoholism. This exposure to substance abuse created instability and emotional neglect in his life, normalizing destructive behaviors and contributing to Jesse's own struggles with addiction later on.

2. Living with his abusive grandfather: Jesse grew up in an environment of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of his grandfather, leading to feelings of worthlessness, anger, and abandonment. This abuse shaped his sense of self and contributed to a cycle of trauma that would affect his future decisions.

3. Being kicked out of his grandparents' house: After enduring years of neglect and abuse, Jesse was kicked out of his grandparents' home, which deepened his sense of rejection and abandonment. This event marked the beginning of his homelessness and further fueled feelings of isolation, self-loathing, and a lack of trust in others.

These three experiences combined to shape Jesse's early life, contributing to the trauma, addiction struggles, and homelessness that he would later confront as part of his journey toward healing.

Thistle, J. (2020, March 10). How writing From the Ashes helped Canada Reads author Jesse Thistle make sense of his past. CBC Books.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC-ah8RP5-0

Winner, Indigenous Voices Awards

Winner, High Plains Book Awards

Finalist, CBC Canada Reads

A Globe and Mail Book of the Year

An Indigo Book of the Year

A CBC Best Canadian Nonfiction Book of the Year

- Additionally he experienced homelessness and a major loss of community. The Ted Talk we watched in class had a great message to connect to Jesse's story. As a way to cope with his loneliness Jesse had "bonded" with drugs. His family, friends and support system had all given up on him which led him to try and fill that emotional gap by other means.

-Overall, Jesse's involvement with drugs became significantly more evident as an adult and yielded heavier consequences.

-Another time Jesse went to prison was in 2007 after he got in a fight with cops after taking drugs. This was nearing the "Steak knife" arrest where his life took a turn for the better.

-Later on in the book this trauma was slightly re-ignited when he went to prison and had fears of being assaulted again.

https://profiles.laps.yorku.ca/profiles/m6l1l4/#:~:text=Jesse%20is%20a%20P.E.%20Trudeau,of%20Indigenous%20Homelessness%20in%20Canada.

https://talentbureau.com/speaker/jesse-thistle/#:~:text=Since%20then%2C%20he%20has%20earned,James%20Wu%20Prize%20(2015).

https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/From-the-Ashes/Jesse-Thistle/9781982101213

PhD, Candidate History ABD - York University

MA, History - University of Waterloo

BA, Specialized honours in History 2016 - York University

Assistant Professor, Coordinator of Indigenous Studies Program

(Metis) ( York University)

Awards

Trudeau Scholarship

Vanier Scholarship,

Governor General’s Silver Medal (2016)

Odessa Award (2014)

Dr. James Wu Prize (2015)

Atlohsa Peace Award (2019)

His literary accomplishments include winning the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Nonfiction, the Indigenous Voices Awards, and the High Plains Book Awards. From the Ashes was also a finalist for CBC Canada Reads and recognized as a Globe and Mail Book of the Year, among other accolades.

Beyond writing, Thistle is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Indigenous Studies Program at York University. His academic journey includes earning a BA in History (York University), an MA in History (University of Waterloo), and being a PhD candidate at York University. His awards include the prestigious Trudeau and Vanier Scholarships, the Governor General’s Silver Medal, and the Atlohsa Peace Award.

Jesse's adult life was not an easy one. Frequently, Jesse dealt with severe injuries, drug addiction, homelessness, arrest/prison and various traumatic events. Despite his hardships, each experience led to growth, ultimately resulting in his recovery.

Jesse Thistle had decided to work hard to raise his child with the care and attention that he had missed growing up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Thistle#:~:text=His%20father%2C%20Cyril%20%22Sonny%22,during%20the%20Battle%20of%20Batoche.

https://homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/COHIndigenousHomelessnessDefinition.pdf

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/nowornever/it-s-now-or-never-five-canadians-embracing-change-this-week-1.6306351/how-best-selling-author-jesse-thistle-is-overcoming-fears-about-being-a-good-dad-1.6311161 

https://theglossbookclub.com/interview-with-jesse-thistle/

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/red-river-cart

Jesse Thistle's memoir, From The Ashes

This symbol aligns with author Jesse Thistle, whose journey to success reflects the same resilience. Through overcoming numerous challenges, Thistle has come to confidently embrace his identity as an Indigenous person, drawing strength from the key influences in his life.

Thistle, J. (2019). From the ashes: My story of being Métis, homeless, and finding my way. Simon & Schuster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC-ah8RP5-0