Trailblazer. Residential school Survivor. First Treaty Indigenous player in the NHL. All of these descriptions are true-but none of them tell the whole story.
AYAHKOKOPAWIWIYIN or FRED SASAKAMOOSE was born in 1933 on what is
now called Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. A residential
school Survivor, Fred is known as the first Indigenous player with
Treaty status to play in the NHL. After retiring from hockey, Fred
dedicated his time to activism in order to improve the lives of
Indigenous peoples through the power of sport. Sasakamoose is
recognized for his achievements by the Assembly of First Nations
and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations. He has been
inducted into four different sports Halls of Fame, served on the
NHL Diversity Task Force, and was a board member for the Aboriginal
Healing Foundation. Sasakamoose became a member of the Order of
Canada in 2017. He passed away in 2020.
MEG MASTERS assisted Fred Sasakamoose in writing his memoir. She is
a Toronto-based writer and editor who has worked with many
bestselling Canadian authors and has penned eleven books.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
One of:
Indigo's Top Ten Books of 2021
Indigo's Staff Pick of The Month for Non-Fiction
Loan Stars’ “10 Most Anticipated Books” for May 2021
Inside Ottawa Valley’s “5 books about residential schools and the
process of truth and reconciliation”
Praise for Call Me Indian:
“Fred Sasakamoose played in the NHL before First Nations people had
the right to vote in Canada. This page turner will have you
cheering for “Fast Freddy” as he faces off against huge challenges
both on and off the ice—a great gift to every proud hockey fan,
Canadian, and Indigenous person.”
—Wab Kinew, Leader of the Manitoba NDP and author of The Reason You
Walk
"More lasting and impactful than the usual sports memoir."
—Publisher's Weekly
“Call Me Indian is not only an excellent memoir about the first
Indian hockey player with treaty status in the National Hockey
League. Just as importantly, it is also the most moving and
plain-spoken account to date, from the inside, of the Indigenous
experience in the racist white world that constituted much of both
the NHL and the Canada of Fred Sasakamoose’s day—which was not so
very long ago. . . . The hot heart of this story begins and ends
within the wider Indian experience. . . . Sasakamoose’s graphic
recollection of every imaginable form of abuse at St. Michael’s
will stand for decades to come as one of the most damning
indictments of the residential school system.”
—Winnipeg Free Press
“Freddy Sasakamoose is the epitome of hard work and perseverance.
His story reveals the hardships he faced while overcoming the
impossible. He will be an inspiration for generations to come.“
—Brigette Lacquette, Olympic medalist and first First Nations
hockey player to be named to Canada's National Women's Team
“Fred Sasakamoose is an icon. Any Indigenous hockey player skates
in his footsteps. His trailblazing hockey career has been
well-documented in recent decades, and now, his riveting life
story has been published in his own words. Call Me Indian is a
powerfully essential account of Sasakamoose’s journey, from
his Cree upbringing on the land to the bright lights of NHL arenas.
His voice throughout is candid, heartfelt, and astute, as he
reveals the triumphs and tragedies of his life. Sasakamoose’s
resilience and dedication to his family, his people, and
the game of hockey is nothing short of awesome, despite the
brutality he endured at residential school and the racism that
followed him on the ice and beyond. Call Me Indian is an
inspiring and enlightening saga that’s a must-read for Indigenous
communities, hockey fans, and all Canadians.”
—Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon of the Crusted Snow
“A heart-wrenching story of survival in the face of injustice and
tragedy. In his unflinching memoir, Fred Sasakamoose shares his
journey from being a residential school Survivor to becoming the
NHL’s first Indigenous player—on the arduous road to finding the
peace and pride he was long refused. Canada’s pastime and the
nation’s darkest sins collide in a beautifully told tale of
resilience, passion, and ultimate triumph.”
—Dan Robson, bestselling author of Quinn: The Life of a Hockey
Legend
“Call Me Indian needs to be in every library and on every school
curriculum in Canada. Fred Sasakamoose’s story is gripping and
powerfully told—a story of triumph and tragedy, of great success
and the perils of excess. There is laughter and tears here aplenty,
but also inspiration. Characters as large as Gordie Howe and Bobby
Hull are easily matched by the likes of Moosum, Freddy’s
grandfather; Father Roussel, the only good to be found in
residential school; George Vogan, who always believed in Fred—and
Loretta, who loved him, gave him family, and ultimately saved
him.”
—Roy MacGregor, bestselling author of Chief: The Fearless Vision of
Billy Diamond and Canadians: Portrait of a Country and its
People
"[A]n essential read for everyone and would make an excellent
resource for teachers, professors and other educators. "
—Toronto.com
"By reading Sasakamoose’s memoir titled Call Me Indian, released
this past month, readers discover his life was about much more than
hockey."
—The Star
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