Receiving an honorary doctorate at the fall 2023 convocation from the University of Manitoba

HONORARY DEGREE
DAVID A. ROBERTSON BA (Winnipeg)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 3 PM
Citation:
David Alexander Robertson is a voice for a new generation, one that smites the stigma of mental illness and unveils truths so that Reconciliation can follow.
As a Cree boy going to school in Winnipeg, Mr. Robertson felt disconnected from his heritage, partly because his school did not teach about Indigenous cultures and histories. But he also found that textbooks on these (or any) matters were uninviting and vapid, unlike comics, which captivated him. Thinking that other children may also be disconnected from their history and textbooks like he was, he began writing graphic novels that not only enthrall, but teach. He firmly believes that understanding Indigenous cultures and Indigenous peoples’ place within Canadian history is imperative for all Canadians.
Today, having written more than 25 books, some of which are now widely used in classrooms across the country, he has brought Indigenous characters and voices into curriculum that for too long had excluded them. His book When We Were Alone, was recognized with many awards, including the 2017 Governor General’s Literary Award, and his other works, like The Misewa Saga series, have been a hit with young readers.
Mr. Robertson’s voice is an important one that is helping to spark change. His novels delve into issues of identity, family, connection, and relationships. They offer an open and frank examination of colonialism’s ongoing impact as well as systemic and overt racism.
He also weaves themes of mental health into his writing and his public speaking, providing people with a foundation to understand mental health struggles and see that speaking about it is as normal as talking about having the flu.
His books are nationally known and critically acclaimed, winning numerous awards. Indeed, Mr. Robertson’s memoir Black Water: Family, Legacy and Blood Memory earned the 2020 Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award, won the Alexander Kennedy Isbister award for non-fiction, and was named Book of the Year by the Globe and Mail and Quill & Quire. He also received the 2021 Writers’ Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award.
Mr. Robertson asks people of all ages to think, to understand, to imagine, and to help build a better society. The University of Manitoba shares this vision. For his outstanding contributions in the arts and distinguished achievements, the University of Manitoba is proud to award a Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, to David Alexander Robertson.