Black Water

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David A. Robertson, the son of a Cree father and a white settler mother, grew up largely unaware of his Indigenous roots. His father, Dulas, also known as Don, was raised on a trapline but was later moved to a reserve in Manitoba, where he was prohibited from speaking his native Swampy Cree and forced to learn English in day school. Robertson's mother, Beverly Eyers, came from a small town in Manitoba without Indigenous families until she met Don, who was a United Church minister. They chose to raise their children disconnected from their Indigenous identity, leaving Robertson without his father's teachings or experiences. All he had were fragments of his heritage, embedded in his DNA, which he has spent a lifetime piecing together. This memoir explores themes of intergenerational trauma and healing, as well as the importance of connection and storytelling. It chronicles how Don's life in Norway House Cree Nation and his journey to Winnipeg shaped Robertson's own existence and potentially saved it. Together, father and son return to the trapline at Black Water, navigating the past to forge a new future.