Author David A. Robertson discusses book banning in Red Deer Polytechnic talk
Cree author David A. Robertson, whose books have been banned or challenged in Canada several times, spoke on storytelling and reconciliation at Red Deer Polytechnic.
Winnipeg-based author David A. Robertson delivered two speeches at Red Deer Polytechnic as part of its Perspectives: Canada in the World speaker series, addressing storytelling, reconciliation and the freedom to read. Robertson has published more than 30 books spanning children's literature, graphic novels, memoirs and young adult fiction, much of it focused on Indigenous culture and history.
Robertson told rdnewsNOW he has had at least four or five books banned or challenged in Canada, including in Ontario and Alberta. He said one book was banned despite his Cree background because it was deemed an inaccurate depiction of Indigenous experiences, while his novel Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story, about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, was banned for implying violence.
He said book banning has grown more frequent over time, often influenced by trends in the United States, and tends to occur more in religious conservative areas. Robertson argued that public pressure usually causes bans or challenges to fail, and said it is books, not children, that suffer from restricted access to literature.
Robertson also discussed his memoir All the Little Monsters, which describes his mental health journey, and said his current work often involves public speaking on reconciliation, social justice and mental health. RDP instructor Anah Jayne Samuelson said Robertson was invited partly to share his firsthand perspective on the effects of book banning on authors and young readers.
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