David A. Robertson

From bestselling author of the Misewa Saga series David A. Robertson, this is the essential guide for all Canadians to understand how small and attainable acts towards reconciliation can make an enormous difference in our collective efforts to build a reconciled country.

52 Ways to Reconcile is an accessible, friendly guide for non-Indigenous people eager to learn, or Indigenous people eager to do more in our collective effort towards reconciliation, as people, and as a country. As much as non-Indigenous people want to walk the path of reconciliation, they often aren’t quite sure what to do, and they’re afraid of making mistakes. This book is the answer and the long overdue guide.

The idea of this book is simple: 52 small acts of reconciliation to consider, one per week, for an entire year. They’re all doable, and they’re all meaningful. All 52 steps take readers in the right direction, towards a healthier relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and a time when we are past trauma. By following these steps, we can live in stronger and healthier communities equally, and respectfully, together.

Additional Information
224 pages | 5.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover 

With humour, warmth and heartbreaking honesty, award-winning author David A. Roberston explores the struggles and small victories of living with chronic anxiety and depression, and shares his hard-earned wisdom in the hope of making other people’s mental health journeys a little less lonely

From the outside, David A. Robertson looks as if he has it all together—a loving family, a successful career as an author, and a platform to promote Indigenous perspectives, cultures and concerns. But what we see on the outside rarely reveals what is happening inside. Robertson lives with “little monsters”: chronic, debilitating health anxiety and panic attacks accompanied, at times, by depression. During the worst periods, he finds getting out of bed to walk down the hall an insurmountable task. During the better times, he wrestles with the compulsion to scan his body for that sure sign of a dire health crisis.

In All the Little Monsters, Robertson reveals what it’s like to live inside his mind and his body and describes the toll his mental health challenges have taken on him and his family, and how he has learned to put one foot in front of the other as well as to get back up when he stumbles. He also writes about the tools that have helped him carry on, including community, therapy, medication and the simple question he asks himself on repeat: what if everything will be okay?

In candidly sharing his personal story and showing that he can be well even if he can’t be “cured,” Robertson hopes to help others on their own mental health journeys.

Additional Information
272 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback 

A son who grew up away from his Indigenous culture takes his Cree father on a trip to their family's trapline, and finds that revisiting the past not only heals old wounds but creates a new future.

The son of a Cree father and a non-Indigenous mother, David A. Robertson was raised with virtually no knowledge or understanding of his family’s Indigenous roots. His father, Don, spent his early childhood on a trapline in the bush northeast of Norway House, Manitoba, where his first teach was the land. When his family was moved permanently to a nearby reserve, Don was not permitted to speak Cree at school unless in secret with his friends and lost the knowledge he had been gifted while living on his trapline. His mother, Beverly, grew up in a small Manitoba town with not a single Indigenous family in it. Then Don arrived, the new United Church minister, and they fell in love.

Structured around a father-son journey to the northern trapline where Robertson and his father will reclaim their connection to the land, Black Water is the story of another journey: a young man seeking to understand his father's story, to come to terms with his lifelong experience with anxiety, and to finally piece together his own blood memory, the parts of his identity that are woven into the fabric of his DNA.

Reviews
“An instant classic that demands to be read with your heart open and with a perspective widened to allow in a whole new understanding of family, identity, and love.” — Cherie Dimaline

“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

Additional Information
288 pages | 5.31" x 8.00" | Paperback

From the bestselling author of The Misewa Saga and When We Were Alone, comes 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga. This epic series of young adult graphic novels follows one Cree family over three centuries and seven generations.

Edwin, a Cree teenage boy, is struggling to feel connected to his family and his identity. From stories shared by his mother, Edwin learns about the history of his family, through the years of war, a smallpox epidemic, and residential schools, all the way through to the present and the conflicts Edwin faces in his own life.

Edwin must confront the past to heal in the present—but can his father, scarred by his own residential school experience, heal in time to help Edwin?

This special 15th anniversary edition brings together all four titles in the 7 Generations series, recoloured and relettered, with a preface from author David A. Robertson and an afterword from bestselling author Cherie Dimaline.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 15 to 18.

Includes the stories in the 7 Generations series.

Stone introduces Edwin, a young man who must discover his family’s past if he is to have any future. Edwin learns of his ancestor Stone, a young Plains Cree man, who came of age in the early 19th century. When his older brother is tragically killed during a Blackfoot raid, Stone, the best shot and rider in his encampment, must overcome his grief to avenge his brother’s death.

In Scars, the story of White Cloud, Edwin's ancestor, is set against the smallpox epidemic of 1870-1871. After witnessing the death of his family one by one, White Cloud must summon the strength to find a new home and deliver himself from the terrible disease.

In Ends/Begins, readers learn about the story of Edwin’s father, and his experiences in a residential school. In 1964, two brothers are taken from the warm and loving care of their grandparents, and spirited away to a residential school. When older brother James discovers the anguish that his brother is living under, it leads to unspeakable tragedy.

In The Pact, the guilt and loss of James’s residential school experiences follow him into adulthood, and his life spirals out of control. Edwin, mired in his own pain, tries to navigate past the desolation of his fatherless childhood. As James tries to heal himself he begins to realize that, somehow, he must save his son’s life—as well as his own. When father and son finally meet, can they heal their shattered relationship, and themselves, or will it be too late?

Additional Information
144 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

La série 7 générations est une bande dessinée épique en deux parties et quatre histoires : Pierre, Cicatrices, Rupture et Pacte. Elle raconte la saga d’une famille autochtone sur trois siècles et sept générations.Pierre : Edwin fait face à un avenir incertain. En découvrant sa famille et son passé de guerres, d’épidémie de variole et de pensionnats, il pourra mieux affronter le présent et envisager l’avenir avec confiance.Cicatrices : L’histoire se déroule en 1870, au moment où la dernière grande épidémie de variole fait des ravages dans les Prairies. Après avoir été témoin de la mort de toute sa famille, Nuage blanc, jeune Cri-des-Plaines et ancêtre d’Edwin, trouve la force d’échapper à la terrible maladie et de partir à la recherche d’un nouveau chez-lui. En constatant à bravoure et la persévérance de Nuage blanc, Edwin s’arme de courage et entreprend d’affronter la principale source de son propre désespoir.

Educator & Series Information
This is book one in the 7 Generations series. 7 Generations is an epic, 4-book graphic novel series by David Alexander Robertson that spans three centuries and seven generations. The central character in the series is Edwin. Edwin, an Indigenous teenager, must learn of his family’s past if he is to have any future. The impact of his journey of discovery, and the revelation that follows, will change his life.

The stories that run through 7 Generations explore the following historical concepts:

• Social customs
• Political structures
• Plains Cree culture
• Spiritual practices and rituals

Recommended for grades 9–12.

This resource is also available in English: 7 Generations Book 1: Stone.

Additional Information
72 pages | 7.00" x 10.00"

L’enseignement de l’histoire des peuples autochtones dans notre pays n’est pas une tâche facile. Les bandes dessinées de Dave Robertson exploitent un moyen de communication important pour faire connaitre cette histoire aux jeunes Canadiens... L’histoire d’Edwin, de James et de Lauren, puissante et dérangeante, est racontée — et montrée — efficacement. Il s’agit d’un sujet important qui touche de nombreuses familles autochtones. Dave le traite bien, et les belles illustrations de Scott Henderson incitent le lecteur à prêter attention. Pacte fait ressortir un message important : la réconciliation repose sur le respect… et le point de départ est le respect de soi. Toute bonne histoire vaut la peine d’être racontée, et lorsqu’elle est bien racontée, d’être lue. Surtout celle-ci.LE JUGE MURRAY SINCLAIR, PRÉSIDENT, COMMISSION DE VÉRITÉ ET RÉCONCILIATION DU CANADA

La série 7 générations est une bande dessinée épique en deux volumes et quatre histoires : Pierre, Cicatrices, Rupture et Pacte. Elle raconte la saga d’une famille autochtone sur trois siècles et sept générations. Volume 2 :Rupture : En 1967, deux frères sont retirés du domicile de leurs dévoués et affectueux grands-parents et emportés dans un pensionnat indien loin de chez eux. Affecté à des travaux manuels extérieurs, James voit de moins en moins son jeune frère Thomas. Bientôt, James découvre l’angoisse dans laquelle vit Thomas, et il s’ensuit une tragédie. La douleur et le sentiment de culpabilité qui poursuivent James continuent d’avoir des répercussions négatives sur son fils Edwin, qui est en difficulté. Toutefois, une nouvelle relation semble se profiler entre le père et le fils… Pacte : Poursuivi, à l’âge adulte, par la douleur et le sentiment de perte découlant de ce qu’il a vécu au pensionnat, James voit sa vie échapper à son contrôle. Rongé par le remord, il est incapable d’entretenir une relation suivie avec Lauren et leurs fils Edwin. Sombrant dans sa propre douleur, Edwin essaie de surmonter la désolation dans laquelle l’a plongé l’absence de son père. Pendant que James tente de se guérir, il commence à se rendre compte qu’il pourrait sauver la vie de son fils en même temps que la sienne. En se rencontrant, le père et le fils arriveront-ils à réparer leur relation et se guérir, ou est-il trop tard ?

Educator & Series Information
This resource is also available in English: 7 Generations Book 2: Scars.

This book is part of the 7 Generations series.

Additional Information
72 pages | 7.00" x 10.00"

Helen Betty Osborne, known as Betty to her closest friends and family, dreamed of becoming a teacher. She left her home to attend residential school and high school in a small town in Manitoba. On November 13, 1971, Betty was abducted and brutally murdered by four young men. Initially met with silence and indifference, her tragic murder resonates loudly today. Betty represents one of almost 1,200 Indigenous women in Canada who have been murdered or gone missing.

This book is a true account. Content may be disturbing to some readers.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18. 

Additional Information
30 pages | 6.50" x 10.00"

Acclaimed writer, David A. Robertson, delivers suspense, adventure, and humour in this stunningly illustrated graphic novel continuation of The Reckoner trilogy.

After the events in Wounded Sky, Cole and Eva arrive in Winnipeg, the headquarters of Mihko Laboratories. They are intent on destroying the company once and for all, but their plans are thwarted when a new threat surfaces. When Cole becomes mired in terrifying visions, Eva must harness her newly discovered powers to investigate Mihko without him. Are Cole’s visions just troubled dreams or are they leading him to a horrible truth?

Perfect for fans of superheroes, The Bloodhound Gang returns in this all-new graphic novel series, The Reckoner Rises.

Reviews
“David A. Robertson's powerful Indigenous YA trilogy gets a comic-book continuation, a natural format for the adventures of an anxious teen turned tormented superhero.” - Quill & Quire

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for grades 8 to 12.

This book is part of the graphic novel series, The Reckoner Rises, a continuation of The Reckoner trilogy.  

Additional Information
72 pages | 6.50" x 10.00"

In 1964, two brothers are taken from the warm and loving care of their grandparents, and spirited away to a residential school, miles from home. James, assigned to manual work on the grounds, sees less and less of his younger brother, Thomas. James soon discovers the anguish that Thomas is living under, which leads to unspeakable tragedy. The pain and guilt that dogs James continues to affect his troubled son, Edwin (introduced in book 1). But a new understanding is dawning between them... Ends/Begins is book 3 in the graphic novel series 7 Generations.

Educator & Series Information
7 Generations is an epic, 4-book graphic novel series by David Alexander Robertson that spans three centuries and seven generations. The central character in the series is Edwin. Edwin, an Indigenous teenager, must learn of his family’s past if he is to have any future. The impact of his journey of discovery, and the revelation that follows, will change his life.

The stories that run through 7 Generations explore the following historical concepts:

• Social customs
• Political structures
• Plains Cree culture
• Spiritual practices and rituals

Recommended for grades 9–12.

Books in this series include:
Book 1: Stone 
Book 2: Scars
Book 3: Ends/Begins
Book 4: The Pact

Additional Information
30 pages | 6.50" x 10.00"

Cole Harper is dead. Reynold McCabe is alive and free. Mihko Laboratories has reopened the research facility and works to manufacture and weaponize the illness that previously plagued Wounded Sky. People are dying. The community has been quarantined. And time is running out. What deal did Eva strike with Choch? Who will defeat Reynold and Mihko?

Reviews
"Robertson’s final installment in this excellent trilogy does not disappoint. He manages to take on important and timely themes while always keeping the reader engaged, engrossed and entertained. Fans will root for this believable cast of characters as they finally get to the truth of the mysterious goings-on at Wounded Sky. I can’t wait to see more from this fine author!”— Susin Nielson, Governor General's Award-winning author, April 2019

Educator & Series Information
Ghosts is the final novel in David A. Robertson's The Reckoner trilogy, it is preceded by Strangers (Book 1) and Monsters (Book 2)

The Reckoner series is recommended Ages: 12-18

Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2019-2020 resource list as being useful for grades 9 to 12 for English Language Arts.

This book is available in French: La trilogie Reckoner - Tome 3: Fantômes

Additional Information
230 pages | 5.50" x 8.50"

Eva and Cole are back just in time to face Mihko’s latest threat: the terrifying results of human experimentation.

Cole and Eva are reunited once more. A new terror looms as Mihko Laboratories latest human experiments are about to be unleashed. Cole is on the long road to recovery, but he’s still struggling with survivor’s guilt. He must stay focused as he, Eva, and their friends prepare for the final showdown with Mihko.

After the events of Version Control, Brady’s mind is fractured, and he can’t distinguish between what really happened and what Mikho made him believe. Eva and Cole may have to face this terrifying threat without him. It’s a grim prospect, but a new discovery might just change everything: God Flare.

Will Brady recover enough to join the fight? Can Cole come to terms with his abilities in spite of his PTSD? And will God Flare help even the odds against Mihko?

Reviews
The art style is realistic and gritty, reflecting the serious and dystopian tone of the story. Colors are dark and muted, actions are clear, and special effects of the supernatural pop off the page, a marked contrast to more normal backgrounds and objects.” — Youth Services Book Review

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for grades 8 to 12.

This book is part of the graphic novel series, The Reckoner Rises, a continuation of The Reckoner trilogy.  It is Book 3 in the series.

Additional Information
72 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

Under a blanket of stars, Warren has a dream about an unending winter, with animals teaming up to search for the lost bag of summer. Just as in the Anishinaabe and Ininew legend, Fisher, a brave hunter, is chosen to bring the bag of summer back to their home. But will he find the bag in time, or will the summer animals ruin his plans to bring warmth to the northern lands?

Educator Information
Grades 4 and under.

An empowering story of resistance that gently introduces children to the history of residential schools in Canada.

A young girl notices things about her grandmother that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully coloured clothing? Why does she speak Cree and spend so much time with her family? As she asks questions, her grandmother shares her experiences in a residential school, when all of these things were taken away.

When We Were Alone won the 2017 Governor General's Literary Award in the Young People's Literature (Illustrated Books) category, and was nominated for the TD Canadian's Children's Literature Award. This edition includes the text in Swampy Cree syllabics and Roman orthography, as well as the original English.

Reviews
"When We Were Alone is a story about finding the strength to push forward when everything is against you. It follows a young girl asking her grandmother questions to learn more about her past. The grandmother shares her experience of a time when she was unable to make her own decisions and how she got through it." — The Dalai Lama Center

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This edition includes the text in Swampy Cree syllabics and Roman orthography, as well as the original English.

Translated by Alderick Leask.  Alderick Leask is a respected Swampy Cree language instructor originally from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, Manitoba. His experience includes conducting classes in Native Studies, Native Cultures, Native Languages and Canadian History from the Indigenous perspective using Traditional Elders’ Knowledge (TEK) and land-based learning. Mr. Leask places Creation and its bounties as his background in instructing students when learning basic outdoor survival skills. His usage of the functional and descriptive language of Swampy Cree demonstrates its practicality.

This book is available in an English-only format: When We Were Alone

This resource is also available in French: Quand on etait seuls

Additional Information
32 pages | 7.50" x 10.00" | Hardcover 

Alors qu’elle tente de retrouver une balle de baseball perdue dans un sentier boisé, Pamela se retrouve en présence d’un vétéran de l’armée qui se tient devant un monument commémorant l’héroïsme du sergent Tommy Prince, le soldat autochtone le plus décoré au Canada. La curiosité de Pamela ravit le vétéran, qui se fait un plaisir de lui raconter l’histoire de ce tireur et pisteur reconnu pour le courage et l’audace dont il a fait preuve pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale et la guerre de Corée.

Educator & Series Information
NATION BIG SPIRIT : D’HIER À AUJOURD’HUI est une série unique de sept bandes dessinées qui plonge les lecteurs au cœur de l’histoire canadienne en s’intéressant à des figures autochtones marquantes, parfois méconnues.

Tales From Big Spirit was created for grades 4 to 6.

This resource is also available in English: The Scout: Tommy Prince

Retardée par un petit incident à la fin de sa journée d’école, Jessie décide de prendre, sur le chemin du retour, un raccourci qui l’entraîne malgré elle dans une aventure hors du commun : elle atterrit à Terre-Neuve… au 19e siècle! Ce voyage dans le temps et l’espace lui donnera l’occasion unique de rencontrer Shawnadithit, dernière survivante des Béothuks et témoin du déclin de ce peuple ayant autrefois connu la grandeur.

Educator & Series Information
NATION BIG SPIRIT : D’HIER À AUJOURD’HUI est une série unique de sept bandes dessinées qui plonge les lecteurs au cœur de l’histoire canadienne en s’intéressant à des figures autochtones marquantes, parfois méconnues.

Dès 9 ans

Traduit de l’anglais (Canada) par Sylvie Nicolas

This resource is also available in English: The Ballad of Nancy April: Shawnadithit