NATIONAL BESTSELLER "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 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. Fred Sasakamoose, torn from his home at the age of seven, endured the horrors of residential school for a decade before becoming one of 120 players in the most elite hockey league in the world. He has been heralded as the first Indigenous player with Treaty status in the NHL, making his official debut as a 1954 Chicago Black Hawks player on Hockey Night in Canada and teaching Foster Hewitt how to pronounce his name. Sasakamoose played against such legends as Gordie Howe, Jean Beliveau, and Maurice Richard. After twelve games, he returned home. When people tell Sasakamoose's story, this is usually where they end it. They say he left the NHL to return to the family and culture that the Canadian government had ripped away from him. That returning to his family and home was more important to him than an NHL career. But there was much more to his decision than that. Understanding Sasakamoose's choice means acknowledging the dislocation and treatment of generations of Indigenous peoples. It means considering how a man who spent his childhood as a ward of the government would hear those supposedly golden words: "You are Black Hawks property." Sasakamoose's story was far from over once his NHL days concluded. He continued to play for another decade in leagues around Western Canada. He became a band councillor, served as Chief, and established athletic programs for kids. He paved a way for youth to find solace and meaning in sports for generations to come. Yet, threaded through these impressive accomplishments were periods of heartbreak and unimaginable tragedy--as well moments of passion and great joy. This isn't just a hockey story; Sasakamoose's groundbreaking memoir sheds piercing light on Canadian history and Indigenous politics, and follows this extraordinary man's journey to reclaim pride in an identity and a heritage that had previously been used against him. 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 an