Indigenous cultures: “The term Indian should no longer be used”

Two indigenous foster children who are drawn through a magical portal in the attic into a mythical world: The plot of David A. Robertson’s “Misewa” series is reminiscent of the Narnia books by CS Lewis, but combines the motif of the parallel world with the story the Canadian “First Nations”, the indigenous people there. Robertson’s saga is a bestseller, and his picture books have also been translated into many languages; “Journey to the North” has just been published in German by Little Tiger Publishing. His books are about the presence of indigenous people in Canada, about painful memories of the so-called residential schools, boarding schools in which indigenous children were separated from their families, where they were not allowed to cultivate their culture and speak their languages. You can reach David A. Robertson via video call; some of the simple illustrations from his picture books hang framed on the wall behind him.