Willis, Jason Lee

Jason Lee Willis is an author who teaches high school English, indigenous studies, creative writing, and mythology, but every morning during the school year, he wakes up at five a.m. to write a thousand words. Jason grew up in South Dakota and currently lives in Minnesota, where he lives the life of a hobbit by writing, gardening, walking around barefoot, wearing vests, fishing, and going on adventures with his wife Julie. In preparation for his Dream Catcher Chronicles, he and his wife Julie traveled the 3,000 mile migration path of the Anishinaabe people from the Atlantic coast to Minnesota. He visited over a dozen historical locations and First Nation reservations to gain a deeper understanding of his research into the Seven Stopping Places that brought the Anishinaabe to Minnesota. In preparation for his novel The Alchemist’s Map, he participated on four research trips that followed the actual routes taken by Joseph Nicollet during his four mapping expeditions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas. In writing two of his short stories, he dove into Blue Earth County history and the founding of the town of Amboy and the early history of Good Thunder, which was named after two men who were involved in the Dakota Conflict of 1862. For his adult nonfiction Bible series, Willis relies on two decades of young adult and adult Bible studies he’s taught.

In the Footsteps of Nicollet. Author Jason Lee Willis takes his audience along on the four mapping expeditions taken by Joseph Nicollet from 1836-1839. Just as Nicollet’s map combined history, science, and mythology, Willis will explain the inspiration he found in the locations visited by the French scientist.

The Seven Fires Prophecy. Author Jason Lee Willis brings his audience on a journey through time to a place where legend and lore were born. Willis will showcase the exodus of the Anishinaabe through the Seven Stopping Places they traveled from the shores of the Atlantic to the lakes of Minnesota. The lecture will discuss the history, prophecy, and religious beliefs found in the intriguing texts.

The Two Good Thunders. Author Jason Lee Willis discusses the founding of the town of Good Thunder in Blue Earth County, named for two men who had vital roles during the Dakota Conflict of 1862, as well as the healing of the wounds in the years following the war.

The Haunted Valley. Author Jason Lee Willis discusses the legends and lore that led historian Thomas Hughes to dub his chapter on Blue Earth County history, “The Haunted Valley.” From Dakota legends to Pierre-Charles LeSueur’s infamous copper mine, Willis will discuss the inspiration for his short stories and novels found in his rural neighborhood.