Book this speaker: Jesse Thistle

About This Speaker: Jesse Thistle

Jesse Thistle is a Métis-Cree Ph.D. candidate in History and an Assistant Professor at York University in Toronto. His research focuses on the intergenerational and historical trauma of the Métis people. Additionally, he draws on his personal experiences with addiction and homelessness to inform his work. His research has had a profound impact on both the academic community and the wider public.

Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Jesse’s early life was marked by hardship. In 1979, at just a few years old, he and his two brothers were removed from their family home and placed with their paternal grandparents in Brampton, Ontario. During his late teens and twenties, Jesse battled addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. After a failed robbery attempt in 2006, he made a life-changing decision to turn himself in to the police and enter a rehabilitation program.

In 2012, Jesse Thistle enrolled in the undergraduate history program at York University. Since then, he has earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Trudeau Scholarship, Vanier Scholarship, and the Governor General’s Silver Medal in 2016. His work has also earned the Odessa Award (2014) and the Dr. James Wu Prize (2015). In 2019, Jesse received the Atlohsa Peace Award for his contributions to Indigenous scholarship.

Jesse’s memoir, From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless and Finding My Way, became a #1 bestseller and was nominated for Canada Reads. Additionally, he is the author of The Definition of Indigenous Homelessness in Canada, published by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. His research has appeared in numerous academic journals, book chapters, and been featured on CBC Ideas, CBC Campus, and Unreserved.

Jesse Thistle lives in Toronto with his wife, Lucie, and their daughter, Rose.

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