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David Robertson (writer)
David Robertson (writer)
David Robertson (writer)
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David Alexander Robertson (born 12 January 1977) is a Canadian author and public speaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has published over 25 books across a variety of genres and is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Literary Award[1] His first novel, The Evolution of Alice, was published in 2014.[2] Robertson is a member of the Norway House Cree Nation.

Key Information

Early life and education

[edit]

Robertson was born in Brandon, Manitoba to a Swampy Cree father and mother of Scottish, Irish and English ancestry.[3] He grew up in Winnipeg with summers spent in Melita, Manitoba.[4][5] Robertson graduated with a BA from the University of Winnipeg in 1999.[6]

Career

[edit]

Robertson's young adult and children's works are widely used in libraries and classrooms across Canada, especially his graphic novels. His works often grapple with hard and violent histories, including the residential school system in Canada. Robertson's graphic novels include the 7 Generations series, the Tales From Big Spirit series,[7] and Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story, which tells the true story of a young Indigenous woman who was abducted and brutally murdered by four young men in 1971.[8]

Robertson has contributed to several anthologies, including Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings From the Land of Water and Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time: An LGBT and two-spirit sci-fi anthology.[9] His work has been featured in CV2 and Prairie Fire.[10] He has written articles for the Toronto Star,[11] CBC, and Book and Periodical Council's Freedom to Read site.[12]

Robertson is the editorial director of a children's imprint for Penguin Random House Canada.[13] He is writer and host of the Kíwew podcast.[14]

Awards and nominations

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Mr. Robertson was nominated for four Manitoba Book Awards in 2015, with The Evolution of Alice winning the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Author.[15] Robertson also won the Aboriginal Circle of Educators award for Research/Curriculum development in 2015.[16] The Evolution of Alice was shortlisted for the Burt Award for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Literature.[17]

In 2016, Robertson was nominated for the Beatrice Mosionier Award for Aboriginal Writer of the Year and the McNally Robinson Books for Young People Award.[18] That same year, The Evolution of Alice was selected as the 2016 winner for On the Same Page[19], a joint initiative between the Winnipeg Public Library and the Winnipeg Foundation that encourages all Manitobans to read and discuss the same book. Robertson's graphic novel Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story was included on the In the Margins Official List for Nonfiction[20] and was a finalist for the 2016 High Plains Book Awards in the Creative Nonfiction category.[21]

In 2017, Robertson won the Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Awards/GRAPHIC NOVEL Category for Will I See?, which was illustrated by GMB Chomichuk, with cover design by Relish New Brand Experience. That same year, he won the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Awards (Younger Category) and the Governor General's Literary Award for When We Were Alone, illustrated by Julie Flett, with design by Relish New Brand Experience. When We Were Alone was also a finalist for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. Robertson won the 2017 Beatrice Mosionier Aboriginal Writer of the Year Award, tied with Trevor Greyeyes.[22]

In 2018, the first book in Robertson's Reckoner series won the McNally Robinson Best Book for Young People Award,[23] the Manitoba Book Awards' Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction,[24] and the Indigenous Writer of the Year Award at the 2018 High Plains Book Awards.[25]

In 2020, Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory won the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award at the Manitoba Book Awards.

The Barren Grounds, which is the first book in Robertson's Misewa Saga, was nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award in 2021 in the Young People's Literature – Text category.[26] This text was also named one of Kirkus and Quill & Quire's best books of 2020, CBC Books' best middle-grade and young adult books of 2020, and one of Canadian Children's Book News's best books of 2020.[27] The Barren Grounds was also shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association's Silver Birch Award and was a USBBY and Texas Lone Star selection.

In 2021, Robertson won the Writers' Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award.[28] and Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award at the 2021 Manitoba Book Awards.[29] His podcast, Kíwew, also won the 2021 RTDNA Prairie Region Award for Best Podcast.[30]

His book On the Trapline, illustrated by Julie Flett, was the winner of the Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration at the 2021 Governor General's Awards.[31]

In 2023, Robertson was honoured with a Doctor of Letters by the University of Manitoba for outstanding contributions in the arts and distinguished achievements. [32]

Works

[edit]

Children and young adult books

[edit]
  • On the Trapline (4 May 2021)
  • When We Were Alone (2016)[33]
  • Strangers (The Reckoner Trilogy, Book 1) (2017)[34]
  • Monsters (The Reckoner Trilogy, Book 2) (2018)[35]
  • Ghosts (The Reckoner Trilogy, Book 3) (2019)[36]
  • Ispík kákí péyakoyak | When We Were Alone (2020)
  • The Barren Grounds (The Misewa Saga, Book One) (2020)[37]
  • The Great Bear (The Misewa Saga, Book Two) (2021)[38]
  • On the Trapline (2021)[39]
  • The Stone Child (The Misewa Saga, Book Three) (2022)
  • The Portal Keeper (The Misewa Saga Book Four) (2023)
  • The Sleeping Giant (The Miswea Saga, Book Five) (2025)[40]

Novels and other literature

[edit]
  • The Evolution of Alice (2014)[41]
  • Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory (2020)[42][43]
  • The Theory of Crows (2022) [44]
  • All the Little Monsters - How I Learned to Live with Anxiety (2025)[45][46]

Graphic novels

[edit]
  • Stone (7 Generations series, Book 1) (2010)
  • Scars (7 Generations series, Book 2) (2010)
  • Ends/Begins (7 Generations series, Book 3) (2010)
  • The Pact (7 Generations series, Book 4) (2011)
  • 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga (Collected 7 Generations series) (2012)[47]
  • Sugar Falls (2012)[48]
  • The Poet: Pauline Johnson (2014)
  • The Rebel: Gabriel Dumont (2014)
  • The Scout: Tommy Prince (2014)
  • The Land of Os: John Ramsay (2014)
  • The Peacemaker: Thanadelthur (2014)
  • The Ballad of Nancy April: Shawnadithit (2014)
  • Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story (2015)
  • The Chief: Mistahimaskwa (2016)
  • Will I See? (2016)
  • Breakdown (The Reckoner Rises, Volume 1) (2020)[49]
  • Version Control (The Reckoner Rises, Volume 2) (forthcoming 2022)[50]

Anthology contributions

[edit]
  • Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings From the Land of Water (2011)[51]
  • Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time: An LGBT and two-spirit sci-fi anthology (2016)
  • This Place: 150 Years Retold (2019)[52]
  • Love After the End: Two-Spirit Utopias & Dystopias (2019)
  • Take Us to a Better Place: Stories (2019)[53]
  • Moonshot: the Indigenous Comics Collection (Vols. 1, 2, and 3) (2020)
  • Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids (2021)[54]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

David Robertson (writer)

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David Robertson is a Scottish Christian minister, apologist, and author noted for his defenses of evangelical Christianity against atheism and secular cultural trends. He served as minister of St. Peter's Free Church in Dundee, Scotland, from 1992 to 2019, where the congregation traces its roots to the 19th-century revivalist Robert Murray McCheyne, and he later relocated to Australia to minister at Scots Kirk Presbyterian in Hamilton, Newcastle, while working as an evangelist with Sydney Anglicans and contributing to organizations like the Third Space initiative. Robertson also held the position of Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland and founded the Solas Centre for Public Christianity to promote gospel outreach in public discourse. His writings, including The Dawkins Letters: Challenging Atheist Myths (2007), Magnificent Obsession: Why Jesus Is Great (2013), Engaging with Atheists (2018), and A.S.K.: Real World Questions / Real World Answers (2019), emphasize reasoned , biblical exposition, and responses to figures like , aiming to equip believers for cultural engagement. Through his and The Wee Flea, Robertson critiques church decline, ethical issues such as climate policy in SEEK 1 – (2023), and broader societal shifts, maintaining a focus on scriptural fidelity amid institutional pressures. His work has garnered recognition within Reformed and evangelical circles for fostering and , though it often challenges prevailing academic and media narratives on and .

Early life and heritage

Childhood and family background

David A. Robertson was born on January 12, 1977, in , to a father of descent and a mother of English, Irish, and Scottish heritage. His father, originally from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, met his mother while serving as a United Church minister in the small southwestern town of Melita. When Robertson was three years old, his family relocated to after his father accepted the position of superintendent of the Indian Education Board, a role that involved significant administrative demands and frequent travel. He grew up in alongside his brothers, in an environment where his parents deliberately shielded the family from their Indigenous roots, providing him with virtually no knowledge or cultural connection to his heritage during his early years. This decision stemmed from the broader context of assimilation pressures and the intergenerational impacts of on Indigenous families in .

Reconnection with Cree ancestry

Robertson learned of his heritage from his father's side during junior high school but initially denied it, influenced by an and internalized negative stereotypes about Indigenous people that made him feel "less than." Raised in Winnipeg's affluent River Heights neighborhood, he grew up largely disconnected from culture, as his parents concealed his ancestry to protect him from discrimination, a decision shaped by his paternal grandmother's residential school trauma and his father's assimilation experiences. In the years leading to 2020, Robertson began actively reclaiming his identity as a member of Norway House Nation through visits to the community, approximately 800 kilometers north of , which he documented in the CBC podcast Kīwew. A pivotal reconnection occurred during a trip with his father, Don, to the family's traditional trapline in northeast , a place Don had not visited in nearly seven decades; there, Robertson experienced an immediate, profound sense of belonging described as "blood memory"—an ancestral, intergenerational tie to the land and forebears—upon stepping onto the rocks, fostering a reclaimed connection to ways of life. This journey strengthened their father-son bond, with Don serving as a resilient role model, and helped Robertson confront colonial legacies of cultural loss and stereotypes, ultimately aiding his personal healing and transmission of heritage to his own children. The experience inspired Robertson's 2020 memoir Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory, which chronicles the trapline expedition, explorations of family history including his grandmother's endurance, and the broader theme of rediscovering Indigenous identity amid intergenerational trauma. Through writing, Robertson deepened his engagement with knowledge systems, emphasizing resilience and land-based connections over assimilated disconnection.

Education

Formal schooling

Robertson earned a degree from the in 1999. No further details on his undergraduate major or pre-university are widely documented in public sources. He has received honorary doctorates later in his career, including a from the in 2023 and a Doctor of Laws from the in 2025, but these are distinctions for professional achievements rather than formal academic credentials.

Self-directed learning on Indigenous issues

David A. Robertson, upon discovering his Cree heritage at age 13, initiated a personal exploration of Indigenous identity disconnected from formal academic structures. Raised in Winnipeg's River Heights neighborhood with limited exposure to Swampy Cree traditions due to his parents' efforts to shield him from associated stigma, Robertson turned to familial and community-based inquiries to reconstruct his ancestry. His efforts included systematic interviews with relatives, such as his father, mother, aunts, and cousins, to gather oral histories, documents, and memories revealing family secrets tied to intergenerational trauma. These interactions uncovered details about his grandmother's experiences in the Indian Residential School system and broader colonial disruptions affecting Cree Nation, where his paternal roots lie. Complementing this, Robertson made repeated visits to the remote community, approximately 800 kilometers north of , immersing himself in its cultural milieu to bridge gaps in his understanding. This self-initiated process, framed as a journey of reclamation, was chronicled in the 2020 CBC podcast series Kīwēw, a five-part production that captured his evolving grasp of Indigenous resilience amid historical adversity. The endeavor extended into his 2020 memoir Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory, which details a with his to , emphasizing blood memory and legacy as vehicles for cultural reconnection rather than institutionalized . Through these methods, Robertson prioritized primary sources like lived narratives over secondary interpretations, fostering a grounded comprehension of worldview elements such as storytelling traditions and . Ongoing self-education manifests in Robertson's curation of Indigenous-authored reading lists and public advocacy on , underscoring a commitment to acquisition. This approach, rooted in skepticism toward external narratives, aligns with his broader output addressing residential schools, missing and murdered Indigenous women, and colonialism's causal chains.

Writing career

Initial publications and

David A. Robertson launched his writing with graphic novels for young readers, debuting Stone, the first volume in the 7 Generations series, on March 19, 2010. Published by HighWater Press, this 30-page work, illustrated by Scott B. Henderson, follows , a contemporary youth grappling with personal crises amid visions of his ancestors' encounters with epidemics in the . The series, comprising four interconnected stories—Stone (2010), Scars (2010), (2010), and The Pact (2011)—traces intergenerational trauma, resilience, and historical events across three centuries of Plains experience, culminating in a collected edition titled 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga in 2012. Building on this foundation, Robertson contributed to the Tales from Big Spirit series, starting with Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story in 2012. This , also illustrated by Henderson with colors by Donovan Yaciuk, recounts a survivor's account of forced attendance at a residential school, emphasizing the systemic abuses faced by Indigenous children and their long-term effects. The series profiles historical Indigenous figures and events through youth-oriented narratives, with Robertson authoring multiple entries that highlight themes of survival and cultural endurance. Robertson's entry into traditional children's picture books came with When We Were Alone in 2016, illustrated by Julie Flett and published by Portage & Main Press. The story depicts a young girl's residential school experience, her family's clandestine efforts to maintain braiding traditions as acts of cultural resistance, and the restorative power of language reclamation upon her return home. This work marked his first publication in the format and earned the 2017 Governor General's Literary Award for Young People's Literature in the illustrated category. These early efforts in graphic and picture book forms established Robertson's reputation for conveying Indigenous perspectives on historical injustices to younger audiences through vivid, narrative-driven storytelling.

Expansion to young adult and graphic novels

Robertson ventured into graphic novels early in his career with the 7 Generations series, an epic narrative tracing a Plains family's experiences across three centuries and seven generations, beginning with the volume Stone in 2010. This series, comprising Stone, Scars, Ends/Begins, and The Pact, addressed intergenerational trauma from events like epidemics and residential schools, illustrated by Scott B. Henderson. A compiled edition appeared in 2012, emphasizing historical realism intertwined with contemporary identity. Further graphic works followed, including contributions to the Tales from Big Spirit series, which profiled historical Indigenous figures through biographical . In 2015, Robertson co-created : The Helen Betty Osborne Story with Scott B. Henderson and Madison Blackstone, a 32-page detailing the 1971 abduction and murder of Cree student Helen Betty Osborne in The Pas, , highlighting systemic racism and investigative failures. This project drew on court records and survivor accounts to underscore unprosecuted racial violence against Indigenous women. Transitioning to young adult prose, Robertson launched the Reckoner trilogy in 2017 with Strangers, a supernatural thriller following a Cree teenager confronting shape-shifting entities amid personal grief. The series continued with Monsters in 2018 and concluded with Ghosts in 2019, exploring themes of isolation, heritage, and otherworldly threats in a modern Indigenous context. By 2020, he introduced the Misewa Saga with The Barren Grounds, a fantasy series for young adults incorporating Cree mythology, where foster siblings enter a parallel world of spirits and survival challenges. This marked a fusion of speculative elements with cultural specificity, drawing from oral traditions. In 2021, Robertson extended this saga into graphic format with The Seven, adapting its portal fantasy for visual storytelling alongside illustrator Scott B. Henderson. These formats allowed Robertson to tackle mature topics like colonialism's legacies and resilience, reaching older audiences while maintaining accessibility through illustration and genre conventions. His graphic novels, often collaborative with artists like Henderson, prioritized visual authenticity in depicting Cree landscapes and emotions, expanding from shorter children's works to serialized, multi-volume explorations. The shift to YA prose enabled deeper psychological narratives, as seen in the Reckoner series' focus on mental health and identity crises grounded in empirical Indigenous experiences rather than abstracted symbolism.

Recent non-fiction and editorial roles

In 2020, Robertson published the memoir Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory, which examines intergenerational trauma, family dynamics, and Nation history through personal narratives intertwined with broader Indigenous experiences of loss and resurgence. In January 2025, he released All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety, a account detailing his struggles with chronic anxiety and depression, emphasizing practical insights into management derived from . Later that year, on May 13, 2025, Robertson issued 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with on the Path to Healing, a guide proposing 52 actionable steps—intended for weekly practice over a year—for non-Indigenous individuals to engage in efforts, drawing on his perspective as a author to advocate for tangible behavioral changes over abstract commitments. On September 27, 2022, Robertson was appointed Editorial Director of Swift Water Books, an Indigenous-led children's imprint launched under Tundra Book Group at Penguin Random House Canada, effective November 7, 2022. In this position, he is responsible for developing, shaping, launching, and overseeing the imprint's output, which focuses on fiction and non-fiction for young readers by emerging and established Indigenous writers and illustrators, marking the first such dedicated line at a major Canadian publisher. The role also involves supporting recruitment for an Indigenous-specific program tied to the imprint's expansion.

Key works

Misewa Saga and fantasy series

The Misewa Saga is a middle-grade fantasy series authored by David A. Robertson, comprising six novels published by Tundra Books, an imprint of Canada, from 2020 to 2025. The series centers on Cree foster siblings Morgan and Eli, who reside in a foster home and uncover a portal in their attic leading to Misewa, a parallel realm inhabited by animal spirits facing existential threats. These adventures blend portal fantasy elements reminiscent of with Cree oral traditions, particularly stories of sky beings and constellations, emphasizing themes of , , and cultural continuity amid personal and communal challenges. Illustrated throughout by Haida/ artist Natasha Donovan, the books target readers aged 10 and older, incorporating Anishinaabe and Cree terminology such as "Misewa," meaning "all my relations" in Cree, to evoke interconnectedness across worlds. The inaugural volume, The Barren Grounds (September 8, 2020), introduces the protagonists' discovery of the portal during a harsh winter, where they aid starving animal beings trapped in eternal barrenness, drawing on Cree narratives of celestial origins. Subsequent installments escalate the stakes: The Great Bear (September 28, 2021) involves time travel to Misewa's ancient past to prevent a catastrophe threatening both realms; The Stone Child (August 2, 2022) explores Eli's abduction into a stone prison, requiring Morgan to navigate prophetic lore for rescue. The Portal Keeper (October 10, 2023) delves into revelations about the protagonists' heritage and the mechanics of interdimensional travel, while The Sleeping Giant (August 6, 2024) confronts a dormant mythic entity awakening to disrupt balance. The concluding The World's End (August 12, 2025) culminates in a multiverse-spanning conflict to safeguard Misewa's inhabitants from oblivion.
Book TitlePublication DateKey Plot Element
The Barren GroundsSeptember 8, 2020Portal discovery and aid to trapped spirits
The Great BearSeptember 28, 2021Time journey to avert ancient doom
The Stone ChildAugust 2, 2022Quest against petrification curse
The Portal KeeperOctober 10, 2023Heritage secrets and gate guardianship
The Sleeping GiantAugust 6, 2024Awakening of colossal guardian
The World's EndAugust 12, 2025Final multiversal defense
Robertson's approach integrates authentic cosmology without didacticism, using the fantasy framework to parallel real-world Indigenous experiences of displacement and reclamation, as the protagonists' status mirrors broader historical disruptions while their agency in Misewa symbolizes . The series has been adapted into audiobooks narrated by the author, enhancing accessibility through traditions akin to those inspiring the narrative.

Graphic novels and adaptations

Robertson's initial foray into graphic novels came with the 7 Generations series, published by HighWater Press between 2010 and 2011, and later compiled into a single volume, 7 Generations: A Plains Saga, in 2012. Illustrated by Scott B. Henderson, the four-part epic—Stone, Scars, Ends/Begins, and The Reckoning—chronicles the experiences of a Plains Cree family across three centuries and seven generations, addressing themes of epidemics, residential schools, and cultural disconnection. Subsequent works expanded his graphic novel output, including Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story in 2015, also illustrated by Henderson, which recounts the 1971 abduction and murder of Indigenous teenager Helen Betty Osborne in , , highlighting systemic and delayed justice. That same year saw the release of Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story, based on the experiences of Elder and illustrated by Henderson and Donovan Yaciuk, depicting the and abuse endured by Indigenous children in residential schools during the mid-20th century. In 2016, Robertson co-adapted the story by Iskwē and Erin Leslie into Will I See?, illustrated by GMB Chomichuk, a narrative exploring the crisis of through the journey of a teenage girl collecting mementos in an urban setting. More recent graphic novels include the Reckoner Rises series, a continuation of Robertson's prose trilogy in superhero sci-fi format, illustrated by Henderson and Andrew Thomas. Volumes such as The Reckoner Rises (2022) and God Flare (2024, Volume 3) feature protagonists Cole and Eva confronting Mihko Laboratories' unethical experiments amid themes of , , and community healing. A planned middle-grade , The Seven, set in the universe of his Misewa Saga and focusing on the origin of seven warrior birds, was announced in 2021 but has not yet been released. Regarding adaptations, film and television rights to the Misewa Saga series were acquired by , a production company, in October 2021, with potential for a screen of the middle-grade fantasy involving Indigenous foster children entering a portal to a spirit world. No productions have been confirmed as of 2025.

Memoirs and reconciliation-focused writing

David A. Robertson's memoirs delve into personal and familial narratives shaped by Cree heritage, intergenerational trauma, and individual resilience, often intersecting with broader themes of Indigenous healing. In Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory, published on September 22, 2020, by , Robertson recounts his strained relationship with his father, a residential school survivor, and examines how colonial disruptions fractured family bonds and cultural continuity. The work draws on "blood memory"—inherited knowledge and pain passed through generations—to argue for personal reconnection as a foundation for cultural resurgence, blending autobiography with historical reflection on Manitoba's Opaskwayak community. Robertson's 2025 memoir All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety, released January 21 by HarperCollins Canada, shifts focus to his chronic health anxiety, panic attacks, and depression, framing these as "little monsters" that demand ongoing management through , medication, and . While primarily a candid account of struggles affecting his productivity and relationships, it implicitly links personal healing to Indigenous contexts by acknowledging trauma's role in exacerbating such conditions, without prescribing collective solutions. In reconciliation-focused , Robertson's 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with on the Path to Healing, published May 13, 2025, by Canada, provides a structured, year-long guide of 52 actionable steps for non-Indigenous and Indigenous readers alike, emphasizing practical engagement over performative gestures. Suggestions include reading Indigenous-authored works, learning local treaty histories, and supporting land-based initiatives, with Robertson stressing measurable actions like weekly reflections to foster genuine and address systemic harms from policies like residential schools. This volume critiques superficial reconciliation rhetoric, advocating evidence-based steps rooted in values of and accountability, while cautioning against in institutional responses.

Themes and literary approach

Portrayal of Indigenous trauma and resilience

Robertson's literary works frequently depict the profound intergenerational trauma stemming from Canadian residential schools and colonial policies, portraying these as direct causes of familial dysfunction, crises, and cultural disconnection among . In the graphic novel series 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga (2013), he traces the ripple effects of historical events like epidemics and across five generations of a Plains Cree family, illustrating cycles of , , and emotional isolation without mitigation. This unflinching narrative highlights trauma's persistence, as seen in the protagonist Ed's contemporary struggles with depression and , which echo his ancestors' experiences of loss and betrayal by government systems. Counterbalancing these depictions, Robertson emphasizes Indigenous resilience through motifs of cultural reclamation and communal bonds, often rooted in oral traditions and spiritual connections to land. In Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory (2020), his details the suicide of his father—attributed to unresolved residential school abuses—and the ensuing within his , yet frames recovery as achievable via "blood memory," an innate transmission of ancestral knowledge enabling personal and collective healing. Reviewers note this as a testament to broader Indigenous community endurance, where confronting inherited pain fosters strength rather than defeat. For younger audiences, Robertson adapts these themes accessibly, as in Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story (2011), which recounts survivor Ross's experiences of separation from and cultural suppression, but underscores her determination and through enduring kinship ties and storytelling. Similarly, picture books like When We Were Alone (2016) convey residential school prohibitions on language and identity, juxtaposed against a child's resourceful reclamation of traditions post-release, portraying resilience as active resistance embedded in everyday acts of defiance and memory-keeping. Across genres, his approach integrates empirical historical details—such as the 19th-century treaties and 20th-century school policies—with first-person-informed realism, avoiding romanticization while evidencing trauma's in outcomes like elevated suicide rates among Indigenous youth, balanced by narratives of adaptive .

Critique of sanitized narratives on reconciliation

David A. Robertson has argued that common narratives framing as a restoration of pre-existing harmony between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in misrepresent historical realities, as colonial relations were inherently unequal and exploitative from inception, rendering the term "" itself a . Instead, he posits that genuine progress demands constructing novel relationships grounded in mutual respect and equitable opportunities, rather than nostalgic or sanitized depictions of a unified past that never existed. This critique underscores his broader insistence that superficial or performative gestures—such as symbolic acknowledgments without substantive action—fail to address entrenched traumas from events like residential schools, which he describes as genocidal in impact. In his literary and educational advocacy, Robertson opposes oversimplified portrayals of Indigenous history that dilute harsh realities to spare discomfort, advocating instead for narratives that integrate unvarnished truths with stories of resilience to foster authentic understanding. He emphasizes that hinges on truth-telling through stories, which reveal intergenerational effects like disproportionate Indigenous involvement in (accounting for 60% of children in Manitoba's system despite comprising 15% of the child population) and healthcare disparities, without resorting to euphemisms or avoidance. For instance, in discussing residential school education, Robertson recommends age-appropriate framing—such as describing abusive environments as "mean teachers" for young children while escalating to explicit details of cultural erasure and for older students—to build foundational awareness without evasion. Robertson extends this critique to institutional responses, condemning efforts like book bans or curriculum restrictions that sidestep confronting historical atrocities, as seen in Alberta's review of his s depicting residential school experiences, which he views as counterproductive to preparing youth for complex societal dialogues. Such measures, in his assessment, perpetuate sanitized ignorance rather than enabling the intentional, ongoing actions required for healing, which he frames as a multi-generational endeavor beginning with individual and communal acknowledgment of colonial harms. Through works like his adaptations and non-fiction, Robertson models this approach by embedding raw depictions of trauma—drawn from survivor testimonies, including his mother's at Residential School—alongside pathways to hope, rejecting narratives that prioritize comfort over causal accountability.

Reception and impact

Literary awards and recognitions

David A. Robertson has received multiple high-profile awards for his work in children's and , particularly for books addressing Indigenous experiences. He won the Governor General's Literary Award for Young People's Literature—Text in 2017 for the picture book When We Were Alone, co-created with illustrator Julie Flett, which explores revitalization amid residential school trauma. In 2021, he secured the same award for On the Trapline, another collaboration with Flett that depicts intergenerational knowledge transmission on traditional lands. On the Trapline further earned the $50,000 TD Canadian Award in 2022, recognizing excellence in Canadian children's books and presented by the Canadian Children's Book Centre. Robertson's 2021 memoir Black Water, detailing his experiences with and identity, won the $3,500 Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for at the Manitoba Book Awards, honoring the province's top adult nonfiction. In recognition of his advocacy against book challenges, Robertson received the Writers' Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award in 2021. Earlier accolades include the 2015 John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Writer from the Manitoba Book Awards, awarded for his emerging body of work including the novel The Evolution of Alice. In 2023, the conferred upon him an honorary for his literary and social contributions.

Influence on Indigenous representation in literature

David A. Robertson's authorship of over 25 books for young readers, including fantasy series like the Misewa Saga and historical narratives addressing residential schools, has advanced authentic Indigenous representation by centering worldviews, languages, and experiences without sanitization. His integration of traditional stories, such as those involving sky spirits and constellations, into modern genres challenges Eurocentric literary norms and fosters Indigenous resurgence in children's . This approach, evident in works like The Barren Grounds (2020), models decolonized and systems rooted in Indigenous normativity, influencing subsequent narratives to prioritize cultural specificity over generalized "diversity." Robertson's emphasis on "own-voices" storytelling has empowered Indigenous youth by providing mirrors of resilience and identity, countering historical absences in that perpetuated marginalization. In interviews, he has noted a marked increase in books by marginalized writers since , attributing part of this shift to the visibility gained from award-winning titles like When We Were Alone (2017), which won the Governor General's Literary Award and introduced unvarnished depictions of intergenerational trauma to school curricula. A pivotal extension of his influence came with the 2025 launch of Swift Water Books, an Indigenous-led publishing imprint under which Robertson serves as editorial director, aimed at amplifying emerging and other Indigenous creators in . This initiative addresses barriers in traditional publishing by offering culturally attuned support for writers and illustrators, thereby expanding the pipeline of diverse, self-determined Indigenous stories and reducing reliance on non-Indigenous gatekeepers. Through these efforts, Robertson has contributed to a broader ecosystem where Indigenous representation evolves from toward narrative , as evidenced by growing citations of his works in educational discussions on .

Controversies and challenges

School board reviews and censorship attempts

In April 2022, the Durham District School Board (DDSB) in temporarily removed The Great Bear, the first book in David A. Robertson's Misewa Saga, from school library shelves after receiving complaints from First Nations families asserting that its depictions of Indigenous trauma—such as residential schools, experiences, and intergenerational effects—could harm Indigenous students emotionally. The board's director of education, Sean McGrath, confirmed the action stemmed from these parental concerns during an equity review process, emphasizing protection of vulnerable students without disclosing specific complaint details. Robertson, a author from the Cree Nation, publicly criticized the decision as "outrageous" and counterproductive, arguing it reflected a fear of confronting historical truths that his work aims to address through narratives of resilience rather than sanitization. The removal sparked debate on book challenges in Canadian schools, with Robertson advocating for transparency and access to "own-voices" Indigenous literature to foster understanding, while the board maintained it was not censorship but a precautionary measure under its equity policy. Following public scrutiny and a review committee's assessment, the DDSB reinstated The Great Bear in school libraries by late April 2022, affirming its value for middle-grade readers despite the sensitive content. A prior incident occurred in September 2018 when included Robertson's When We Were Alone—which explores residential school attendance through a grandmother-grandchild —on an internal "Books to Weed Out" list labeled "not recommended" for collection maintenance. Robertson described the categorization as "pretty troubling," noting the book's Governor General's Literary Award win and its role in educating on Indigenous history without graphic detail. The board clarified the list was not a ban but a tool for librarians to evaluate dated or unsuitable materials, though it highlighted tensions over retaining works addressing colonial legacies in youth collections. These episodes illustrate broader patterns of school board scrutiny on Indigenous-authored works dealing with trauma, often initiated by concerns over student well-being, yet Robertson has contended such reviews risk erasing authentic representations essential for education. No formal bans resulted, but the temporary withdrawals underscored debates on balancing sensitivity with comprehensive literary access in Canadian curricula.

Debates over confronting historical truths in youth literature

David A. Robertson, a member of the Norway House Cree Nation, has authored several works of youth literature that directly address the historical traumas inflicted by Canada's residential school system, such as the 2016 picture book When We Were Alone, which depicts a young Cree girl's experiences of forced assimilation, language suppression, and separation from family in an age-appropriate manner for readers from kindergarten to grade 3. This approach aligns with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 62.1, which recommends developing age-appropriate curricula on residential schools spanning kindergarten through grade 12 to foster understanding of Indigenous history among youth. Robertson has emphasized that introducing these truths early equips children with knowledge of resilience and survival, countering sanitized narratives that obscure systemic abuses like cultural erasure and physical separation documented in survivor testimonies. Debates surrounding Robertson's works often center on the balance between educational imperatives for historical accuracy and concerns over psychological impact on young readers, particularly Indigenous students vulnerable to intergenerational trauma. For instance, his 2020 middle-grade novel The Great Bear, the second in the Nimia series blending fantasy with themes of grief, loss, and identity rooted in worldviews, was temporarily removed from all Durham District School Board libraries in in April 2022 following an unspecified complaint, with the board citing potential harm to Indigenous youth from its emotional content. The decision prompted backlash from educators and authors who argued it exemplified reluctance to engage with narratives reflecting real historical wounds, even in fictionalized forms, despite the book's intended audience of ages 10-14 and its avoidance of explicit . The book was reinstated after review on May 26, 2022, but the incident highlighted tensions in school settings where administrators prioritize shielding students from distress over promoting truth-telling as a tool. Robertson has publicly contested such challenges, asserting that withholding stories of historical truths—such as residential legacies of , , and family disruption—perpetuates ignorance and undermines efforts to address ongoing disparities, as evidenced by his advocacy for including unflinching Indigenous narratives in curricula despite risks of re-traumatization. Critics of in youth , including some officials, contend that early exposure to these topics may overwhelm developing minds without sufficient contextual support, potentially exacerbating issues in communities already burdened by historical fallout, though empirical data on long-term effects remains limited and contested. Robertson counters that his writing incorporates resilience and hope, drawing from oral traditions, to model healthy processing of pain rather than evasion, positioning such as essential for causal understanding of current Indigenous realities over protective . These exchanges reflect wider Canadian discourse post-2015 TRC report, where proponents of early truth cite survivor calls for transparency, while opponents invoke child psychology principles favoring gradual disclosure, though Robertson's award-winning titles like When We Were Alone—which garnered the 2017 Governor General's Literary Award for Young People's —demonstrate viability without widespread reported harm.

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