This one will stay with you...

The way that Canadians understood homelessness by the Canadian definition was about not having a house to live. I realize that it was more about a dispossession from something called 'all my relations' which is an Indigenous worldview where everything is interrelated, interconnected. ― Jesse Thistle

From the Ashes by Jessie Thistle is about loss, trauma, loneliness, substance use disorder, pain, broken health care, broken judicial systems, depression, anger, fear, abandonment, shame and crisis.

From the Ashes is also about connection, friendship, discovery, courage, resilience, hope, community, love, spiritual awakening, family, healing, recovery, belonging, self-actualization, and coming home.

This memoir is life changing and eye opening. It brings another layer to our understanding of the colonial impact on Indigenous peoples and the broken justice and health care systems in Canada. Jessie was not just without stable and safe housing, he had lost his connection to his culture and his history. He experienced this loss in his lifetime and some of this loss occurred before his birth and in the generations of Indigenous peoples who endured restrictive government policies and residential schools.

In Metro Vancouver, Indigenous peoples are over-represented among the homeless population. If you want to take a deeper dive into the history of Indigenous peoples, land, and home read Bob Joseph's 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act.

I follow Jessie Thistle's wife and manager on Instagram. When I see photos of Jessie and his wife and his daughter, I am filled with joy. But I know that not everyone living with unstable housing and substance use disorder is able to reach recovery. I remember this every time I see his face.

I have been changed by his story.