"It Was Fire That Saved Me": The Recovery Story of Derek Racette.

At three years old, Derek Racette burned a trailer to the ground — the same trailer where he had been sexually assaulted by a family member. Decades later, after years of addiction, violence, and loss, he finally understood why.

Derek’s story traces a lifetime of pain, power, and redemption — from growing up in a home filled with addiction and violence, to becoming a teacher, drug dealer, and eventually a man on the edge of suicide. His daughter’s fentanyl overdose nearly ended his life, but instead became the beginning of his recovery.

Through detox, ceremony, and the rediscovery of his Métis spirituality, Derek found healing in the teachings of the tipi, the drum, and his culture. What began as an act of destruction became a path toward light, service, and rebirth.

This conversation is raw and unfiltered — a look at trauma, resilience, and what it takes to survive when the fire inside has burned everything else away.

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