The Barren Grounds and Beyond

David A. Robertson is a marvel. He has published over 20 titles and only started his writing career in 2009. Like so many of us, he has a story to tell and uses the power of the written word to bring Indigenous histories to light.

Robertson, of Treaty One Territory, is an award-winning Swampy Cree writer with books for people of every age. His 7 Generations graphic novel series is a national bestseller and widely used in classrooms to teach about residential schools and their traumatic impact on Indigenous communities.

David’s most recent book The Barren Grounds, is the first in his new series The Misewa Saga. The story follows Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children who are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg. The two go on an epic adventure to a land called Aski through a secret bedroom portal. They must face danger and risk hunger to help their fantastical new friends, and themselves.

"I wanted to write about the foster care system for quite a long time, and I was waiting for the right story to be able to do it, and this story was my opportunity," David said in this CBC Radio interview.

To celebrate the Writes of Spring, we invited David to talk about The Barren Grounds and  do a Q & A with middle and high school students.

View David’s program, which was funded by the Aboriginal Library Services grant and recorded on Zoom.

You can find The Barren Grounds and David’s other books available through Regina Public Library’s collection.

We also encourage you to visit our Reconciliation page for more fantastic resources including the Indigenous Voices collection, programs, events and more.

Jo - Community Engagement