Black Water (memoir) facts for kids
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| Author | David Robertson (writer) |
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| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Memoir |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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September 22, 2020 |
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Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory is a memoir written by David A. Robertson, published September 22, 2020 by HarperCollins.
Plot
In Black Water, Robertson explores his family history as he came to know and connect with his Cree ancestry.
Robertson was born to a Cree father (Don) and non-Indigenous mother (Beverly). Despite his ancestry, Don didn't have official Indigenous status, though he grew up near Norway House, Manitoba, living off the land learning Cree culture. Ten years after his birth, the Family Allowances Act of 1945, which promised welfare to Indigenous peoples with a permanent address, changed his family's life. Although they received government benefits, they could no longer work the traplines. Shortly after, Don attended public school and forgot his native Swampy Cree language.
After becoming a pastor, Don met and married Beverly, and the couple had three sons. Together, Don and Beverly decided not to tell their sons about their Indigenous ancestry because they felt the "knowledge of their Swampy Cree roots would be a burden for them." The family lived in Winnipeg without connection to other Cree people. After his parents divorce, Robertson spent little time with his family for nearly a decade.
Robertson eventually reconnected with his father, at which point he learned about his family's heritage. With Don, he travelled to Norway House multiple times and reconnected with his history.
Black Water is structured around Robertson's journey to connecting with his heritage, the land, and his father. The memoir also explores Robertson's anxiety and growth regarding his own Indigenous identity.
The book's central themes are conveyed in the subtitle (i.e., family, legacy, and blood memory), though "Robertson also addresses a variety of subjects, including anxiety, veganism, the legacy of lost language, the impact Family Allowance had on his father’s family, and visiting family in a small Mennonite town." Importantly, Robertson also "carefully and thoughtfully acknowledges that his experience is not a monolith and Indigenous folks experiences may vary vastly from his."
Background
While Robertson was working on the books' final draft, his father died. Although he contemplated writing his father's death into the book, he felt that the detail would require the entire book to be restructured given that the main focus is the rekindled relationship.
Style
Although Black Water is a memoir, Robertson "wanted it to read like as engaging as a strong fictional narrative." Because of this, he "weav[es] in his and his father’s visit to the trapline with memories and reflections" in a manner uncommon in the genre.
