Resilience, Identity, Story and Connection: Author David A. Robertson Connects with Connected North
It was another special day in Connected North classrooms across Canada — host Waukomaun Pawis was welcoming author David A. Robertson for a unique conversation about resilience, identity and overcoming life’s challenges. Pawis was joining from Toronto while Robertson streamed in from Winnipeg and lucky students from Muskwecheese Cree High School, Red Lake District High School, Aglace Chapman Education Centre and Kapapamahchakwew — Wandering Spirit School were in attendance.
In addition to readings from Robertson’s memoir, Blackwater, students had the chance to participate in a reflective writing activity. Sponsored by RBC Stories of Empowerment Series and First Book Canada, students were provided copies of the memoir to enjoy. A member of Norway House Cree Nation, he shared about his ancestry and identity and let students know there is not any one real Indigenous identity and many other nuggets of wisdom during the time they spent together.
For those not familiar with Robertson’s brilliance, he is a two-time winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award, TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, and the Writer’s Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award. He’s a podcaster, public speaker, a passionate social advocate who was honoured with a Doctor of Letters by the University of Manitoba for outstanding contributions in the arts and distinguished achievements in 2023.
As part of the session, Robertson shared some of his own inner conflicts around his Indigenous identity — the way he doesn’t participate in sweats because heat exacerbates his anxiety and how he once asked his dad why he didn’t “teach him to be Cree”. Ultimately, a lot of the work he does now with Indigenous youth and Indigenous people generally is around identity and reflecting on the inner journey towards a sense of self, place and purpose.
His memoir, Blackwater, delves into relationships, family stories, and the pursuit of identity. The story follows his journey to his dad’s trapline and the feeling that he belonged there even though he had never been there before. He explained that using the words “blood memory”, the idea that our ancestors and the places they have been are woven into our bodies and spirits.
Blackwater shared Robertson’s inner journey, and he encouraged students about the bravery and the courage that comes with their own inner journey. “The journey is to figure out who you are, and what it means to you. The journey helps you to feel stronger in your own skin and helps you feel stronger and more confident in your identity as an Indigenous person. No matter who you are, what background you’re from… everyone has a different path to get there,” his words of hope landed softly with his attentive audience.
Moving on to rallying aspiring writers, the talented Indigenous role model shared advice urging them to write from the heart, not the head, not worrying about if something is a masterpiece because if it comes from the heart it will be, and giving his best tips to leverage descriptive language.
Describing his writing practice from cultivating inspiration, deciding what to move forward on, how he cares for himself along the way, creating an environment conducive to his craft, drafting and editing, and so much more, Robertson gave a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to be a writer — from missing characters after he finishes writing books to writing stories that are never published just to spend more time with them. He shared why he became a writer and encouraged students to pursue their passions and dreams as Indigenous artists.
Alongside practical tips, Robertson left pearls of wisdom, like the importance of sharing stories amongst Indigenous people, of building a stronger self to support stronger relationships with others, and the questions he feels we need to be asking — how do we help ourselves and how do we help each other? Students got to ask their questions and engage with a published author live.
As someone who was always passionate about storytelling since he was young, David Robertson spent quality time engaging a new generation of storytellers. He wanted to write books that made Canada a better place to live, empower Indigenous youth, educate non-Indigenous youth and strengthen communities. That spirit of moving forward to a brighter tomorrow came through in the quality programming he offered to Connected North students.
This session was another chapter in the learning opportunities students have the chance to engage with and we are so thankful for David A. Robertson’s time and talents, the donors who make these sessions possible and the students, teachers and administrators who bring their curiosity. We can’t wait for all the stories that will come from this story!
Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.
