BIOGRAPHY
DAVID A. ROBERTSON (he, him, his) was the 2021 recipient of the Writers’ Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award as well as the Globe and Mail Children's Storyteller of the Year. He is the author of numerous books for young readers including When We Were Alone, which won the 2017 Governor General's Literary Award and the McNally Robinson Best Book for Young People Award. The Barren Grounds, Book 1 of the middle-grade The Misewa Saga series, received a starred review from Kirkus, was a Kirkus and Quill & Quire best middle-grade book of 2020, was a USBBY and Texas Lone Star selection, was shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association’s Silver Birch Award, and was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General’s Literary Award. His memoir, Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory, was a Globe and Mail and Quill & Quire book of the year in 2020, and won the Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction as well as the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award at the 2020 Manitoba Book Awards. On The Trapline, illustrated by Julie Flett, won David's second Governor General's Literary Award, won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, and was named one of the best picture books of 2021 by the CCBC, The Horn Book, New York Public Library, Quill & Quire, and American Indians in Children's Literature. Dave is the writer and host of the podcast Kíwew (Key-Way-Oh), winner of the 2021 RTDNA Praire Region Award for Best Podcast. His first adult fiction novel, The Theory of Crows, was published in 2022 and is a national bestseller. He is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and currently lives in Winnipeg.
WORKS
Dave's Books, Podcast, and Selected Anthology Contributions
Book List:
The Barren Grounds, The Misewa Saga, Book 1
The Great Bear, The Misewa Saga, Book 2
The Stone Child, The Misewa Saga, Book 3
Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory
Breakdown, The Reckoner Rises series, Vol. 1
Version Control, The Reckoner Rises series, Vol. 2
Sugar Falls 10th Anniversary Edition
7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga
Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story
The Ballad of Nancy April: Shawnadithit
Ispík kákí péyakoyak | When We Were Alone
Coming Soon!
The Song That Called Them Home
Publishers:
Podcast:
Selected Anthologies:
Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection Volumes 1, 2 & 3
PRAISE
"David A. Robertson has written such a fine, beautiful novel. He manages to combine hard truths about our history with a Narnia-like fantasy, sweeping us into the world of the story while opening our hearts as well." --Susin Nielsen, author of We Are All Made of Molecules and No Fixed Address
"This middle-grade fantasy deftly and compellingly centers Indigenous culture." --STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
“This is a book that is rich in its characterization, evocative in its descriptions, and skillful in its weaving together of traditions of the past and life in the present.” --CM Magazine
“[T]he treatment of Cree culture resonates, and the engaging characters and folklore ensure readers will look forward to the next installment.” --Publishers Weekly
“Reminiscent of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia stories, this fantasy is very much its own tale of ruptured Indigenous culture, of environmental reciprocity and care.” --Toronto Star
“The Barren Grounds has a strong message about living with the earth and not taking more than you need.” --Toronto Public Library
Praise for The Barren Grounds
“An outstanding contribution to the literature about family, intergenerational friendship, remembrance, community, Indigenous experience, and more.” —STARRED REVIEW, The Horn Book
“Robertson’s text is as spare as Flett’s artwork, leaving plenty of space for readers to feel the emotions evoked by both.” —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
“A deeply affecting journey of memory and history.” —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
“This second collaboration between the Governor-General’s Award-winning writer-illustrator team — who share common Cree ancestry — focuses on the connection between a boy and his moshom (grandpa) as they travel by plane, foot and boat to the northern wilderness, where a young moshom once lived off the land with his family.” —Globe and Mail
"Reading this quiet and beautiful picture book is a perfect way for caregivers and children to bond over storytime." —Canadian Children’s Book Centre
“[A] powerful story well told in an understated manner.” —CM: Canadian Review of Materials
“On the Trapline is a stunning picture book that highlights Indigenous values, including the deep connections to family and the land.” —Mutually Inclusive
Praise for On the Trapline
“When someone lives their life in a good way, the Haisla call them handsome people. David A. Robertson’s biography is the perfect example of someone who takes care with his words and speaks respectfully; he tackles identity and racism, family bonds and breaks, with nuance and honesty. The power of this approach makes Black Water an essential and timely book.” - Eden Robinson, bestselling author of The Trickster Trilogy
“Black Water is a deeply moving book about “[t]he experiences of one generation felt by the next, and the next after that… engrained in us through the stories we pass down as gifts.” David A. Robertson writes of kinship and his father with enormous care, heart, and courage.” - David Chariandy, acclaimed author of Brother and I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You
“A story is a gift, and with Black Water, David A. Robertson is at his most generous. He shares, with candour and tenderness, a personal story of father-son love, deftly weaving it into a larger social and political history of loss, trauma, survival and resurgence. At once intimate and expansive, this is a story of healing and home.” - Rachel Giese, author of Boys: What it Means to Become a Man
“David A Robertson's memoir is rich in lore and insight and compassion. He explores Cree values and ideas and their richness and relevance in contemporary life. He does so by taking us through the story of one Indigenous family's journey through the twentieth century in Canada. We are faced with horrors and great loss, but also extraordinary warmth and heroics and a family who refused to ever be defined by anyone but themselves. A wondrous history lesson about love.” - Heather O’Neill, award-winning author of The Lonely Hearts Hotel
“This is the book I never knew I was waiting for but my whole body recognized when I read it. Black Water is mesmerizing, difficult, inviting, and tremendously gorgeous. It is a love letter about coming home. We are all better people because of the journey David took with his dad and I am forever grateful for having been allowed to accompany them. David A. Robertson is a treasure: kind, honest, and a master of storytelling. This is him at his best, and while I’m not sure we deserve him, we sure as hell need him.” - Cherie Dimaline, bestselling author of The Marrow Thieves and Empire of Wild
"An honest and moving memoir that builds an emotional crescendo . . . .A richly revealing account that is revealing yet respectful." - Galleries West
"A beautiful story of family and cultural ties remade anew." - Chatelaine
Praise for Black Water
"Each spread is compelling in its own way, offering remarkable depictions of resilience and the strong emotional ties within this family. An empowering and important story."
—Booklist, a starred review
"A quiet story…of love and resistance.… Flett’s collage illustrations, with their simplicity and earthy colors, are soulful and gentle…. All readers will connect with how Nókom lives in celebration of colors, her long hair, her language, and, most of all, her family."
—The Horn Book Magazine, a starred review
"When We Were Alone is exquisite and stunning, for the power conveyed by the words Robertson wrote, and for the illustrations that Flett created. I highly recommend it."
—Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children’s Literature
"Wow! Beautiful, painful, and shining with truth and dignity. Bravo!"
—Richard Van Camp, Author
"Spare, poetic, and moving, this Cree heritage story makes a powerful impression."
—Kirkus Reviews
"When We Were Alone is one of our favourite picture books."
—CCBC’s Author’s Corner
Praise for When We Were Alone
"The Theory of Crows flies in the face of the expected, showing us how a suburban, swim-meet-attending, med-taking family's experience is as Indigenous as any other. David Robertson's vivid storytelling shows us in heart-aching detail that while his characters may not live on their homeland, their homeland lives on in them."
- Wab Kinew, author of The Reason You Walk
"This novel, completely absorbing and utterly transporting, has a father and daughter relationship at its centre and explores the healing that comes only through knowing the past. Honest, raw, and hopeful, this is a book I read with my heart in my mouth as they become lost and found by the land."
-Claire Cameron, author of The Last Neanderthal
"A brilliantly empathetic story that is both gentle and fierce."
-Thea Lim, author of An Ocean of Minutes
"In weaving together themes of identity, belonging, grief, and land, The Theory of Crows is a novel that approaches rapture."
-Yann Martel, author of The Life of Pi
"A family on the brink of shattering finds its way through ancient teachings of infinite connection and the roots of truth in the earth's living memory."
-Michelle Good, author of Five Little Indians
Praise for The Theory of Crows
"Your moshom used to talk about the crows. They would erupt from the trees like shards of night and circle above in a dance."
From 'The Theory of Crows'
ARTICLES
‘MY GRANDMOTHER’S SISTER HAD A NAME. IT WAS MAGGIE’
"I don’t want you to forget that 751, 215, 180, 104, 38, 35 are not statistics. I want you to get over the shock. What I don’t want is for you to become desensitized to the fact that these were children...they all mattered. The best way to honour their memory is to fight for a better Canada because, in so doing, you are fighting for them."
MY CULTURE IS NOT YOUR OR YOUR KIDS’ HALLOWEEN COSTUME
First off: this article is not intended as a guilt trip. Guilt doesn’t do anybody any good, and I don’t think people choose costumes, for themselves or their children, to be racist or offensive. The thing is, that doesn’t make it not racist or offensive. Even those of us who aren't racist can still perpetuate racism by the choices we make.
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I THINK ALL CANADIANS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TALK TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT MMIWG — HERE’S HOW
The history is hard; a lot of terrible things happened to thousands of children. How can you talk about it and not traumatize young readers? One of my nephews learned about residential schools a couple of years ago, and came home in tears. He thought he was going to be taken. We’ve asked teachers and parents to address these important issues, but haven’t prepared them to do the job they’ve been given. The calls for justice has a section for all Canadians. That’s you. That’s your children.
“NOT RECOMMENDED”: WHAT IT’S LIKE WHEN A SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS YOUR WORK
For 10 years, my books usually avoided controversy, although some of them dealt with heavy subjects. My picture book, graphic novels and young-adult novels met kids at their level because I worked with educators, Indigenous Elders and cultural advisers to ensure the content was accurate, age appropriate and culturally sensitive.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CULTURAL APPRECIATION AND APPROPRIATION
The distinction between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation is relatively straightforward: it’s an act of appropriation when someone uses an aspect of a culture that’s not their own without understanding or respecting it, especially when it’s a historically oppressed group and when it involves personal gain or profit. Appreciation, on the other hand, sees people genuinely trying to learn and understand about another culture in order to broaden their perspective.
ASHLEY CALLINGBULL ON TURNING PAIN INTO POWER
Ashley Callingbull wears many hats. She’s a beauty queen who was crowned Miss Canada in 2010 and Mrs. Universe in 2015. She’s an actor, playing Sheila Delaronde on the APTN drama Blackstone from 2011 to 2015. She’s an influencer with 1,000,000+ followers on her Instagram. She’s an advocate and a motivational speaker, giving talks on mental health, building self-confidence and her Indigenous culture. She’s a brand ambassador, most notably landing a deal with Nike in 2020. And she’s a survivor of physical, mental and sexual abuse.
I'M AN INDIGENOUS PARENT AND AUTHOR WHO HAS HAD MY BOOKS PULLED FROM SCHOOL SHELVES
Here’s the thing. When an adult says that kids aren’t ready, I think it's usually because the adult is not ready. Kids have their minds open, and they’re ready to learn. I don't want to see truth ripped away from them just because we didn’t have access to today's essential and meaningful books, just because we aren’t comfortable. The truth can be uncomfortable. But it’s also necessary. Kids have the right to learn from a place of truth. They deserve it.
RECENT PRESS
IVAN COYOTE, DAVID A. ROBERTSON & JULIE FLETT AMONG FINALISTS FOR $25K GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARDS
Robertson and Flett are nominated in the young people's literature — illustrated books for their picture book On the Trapline. The prize money in this category is split equally between the author and the illustrator.
DEAL WITH DISNEY SUBSIDIARY 'BIT OF A DREAM COME TRUE' FOR WINNIPEG AUTHOR OF YA NOVEL SERIES
In a deal announced Wednesday, the worldwide production rights to Robertson’s ongoing epic young-adult Misewa Saga series of books were acquired by ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios.
DAVID A. ROBERTSON WINS THE 2021 FREEDOM TO READ AWARD
Robertson is a Swampy Cree author and graphic novelist based in Winnipeg. He has published more than 20 books across a variety of genres including novels, children's books and memoir. He also hosts the CBC Manitoba podcast Kiwew. The award is given in recognition of work that is passionately supportive of the freedom to read.
WINNIPEGGER'S BOOK DRAWING FROM CREE SKY LORE NOMINATED FOR GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD
A Winnipeg author has been nominated for a Governor General's Literary Award for his latest book, which he describes as Narnia meets Cree sky stories. David A. Robertson's The Barren Grounds was nominated in the category of Young People's Literature - Text earlier this month.
ROBERTSON WINS GG LITERARY AWARD, AGAIN
The win is the second time the pair have won the $25,000 award. They first collaborated on the 2016 picture book When We Were Alone, published by HighWater Press, an imprint of Portage & Main Press. The book, which explores the painful legacy of residential schools in Canada, won the Governor General’s Literary Award in the same category in 2017.
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