Sarah Nickel
PhD Candidate
BA with Distinction, History, University of Lethbridge, 2006
MA, History, University of Saskatchewan, 2009
Supervisor: Mary-Ellen Kelm
Research Description
My current research focuses on the twentieth century modern Indian political movement in British Columbia, and specifically explores the pan-tribal political organization, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. The Union emerged in 1969 as the predominant provincial Aboriginal political organization and was officially organized to oppose Trudeau鈥檚 White Paper Policy on Indian Affairs. My dissertation argues that the Union was uniquely situated at the intersection of emerging global social movements and the politicization of marginalized populations, national shifts in Aboriginal policy, and longstanding local political expressions. Using ethnohistorical lens with a significant community research component, my research uncovers the subtleties of activism in the long Sixties including the role of personality, leadership, community, Aboriginality, youth, and radicalism in the activation of Aboriginal politics. My research also engages in new debates about the role of ethnohistory in the analysis of a multi-community organization, and demonstrates how oral interviews become negotiated political spaces for Union activists navigating relationships with the researcher and other activists to shape the historiography of the organization. As a multi-spatial project, this dissertation contributes to several thematic, regional, national, and transnational historiographies including Aboriginal and Native-Newcomer, British Columbia, twentieth century political activism, and global social movements. Together, these discussions further contribute to debates in gender history and oral history methodologies.
Working Dissertation Title
鈥淯nited we stand, divided we perish鈥�: Identity, Community, and the Politics of Activism in the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, 1969-1980
Publications
Articles
鈥� 鈥榊ou鈥檒l probably tell me that your grandmother was an Indian princess鈥�: Identity, Community, and Politics in the Oral History of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, 1969-1983,鈥� Oral History Forum d鈥檋istoire orale volume 34 (2014). Available online.
鈥淣egotiating Sovereignty: Indigenous Perspectives on a Settler-Colonial Constitution,鈥� BC Studies. Co-Authored. (In progress)
鈥淗omemakers, Activists, and Radical Mothers: Indigenous Feminism and Politicized Motherhood in the British Columbia Aboriginal Political Movement, 1950-1981.鈥� (In progress)
鈥� 鈥榃e want to live as Indians鈥�: Political Resilience and the Negotiation of Aboriginal Politics in the
Union of BC Indian chiefs, 1969-1975.鈥� (In progress)
鈥� 鈥楽pitting Out the Foreign Society鈥�: Identity, Community, and Politics in the Oral History of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, 1969-1980.鈥� (In progress)
Book Reviews
We Are Born with the Songs Inside Us: Lives and Stories of First Nations People in British Columbia, Katherine Gordon. BC Studies. (In progress)
For King and Kanata: Canadian Indians and the First World War, Timothy C. Winegard. BC Studies (Fall 2013)
A Lawyer in Indian Country: A Memoir, Alvin J. Ziontz. Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Volume 101 Number 3-4 (Summer/Fall 2010).
Conference Papers
鈥� 鈥業 am not a women鈥檚 libber although sometimes I sound like one鈥�: Indigenous Feminism and Politicized Motherhood in the British Columbia Aboriginal Political Movement, 1950-1981,鈥� Meeting of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association, Washington, DC, June 2015. (Submitted)
鈥淔uture Directions for Ethnohistory in Canada: Taking Stock 60 Years after the American Indian Claims Commission Launched the Method of Ethnohistory.鈥� Roundtable discussion for the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Historical Association, Ottawa, Ontario, June 2015. (Submitted)
鈥淗omemakers, Activists, and Radical Mothers: Indigenous Feminism and Politicized Motherhood in the British Columbia Aboriginal Political Movement, 1950-1981,鈥� Annual Meeting of the Canadian Historical Association, Ottawa, Ontario, June 2015. (Submitted)
鈥� 鈥楾his movement would shake the very bones of this country鈥�: Radical Aboriginal Protest in British Columbia鈥檚 鈥楳ilitant May,鈥� 1975,鈥� Meeting of BC Studies, Vancouver, British Columbia, May 2015. (Submitted)
鈥淟essons from the Field: Experiencing Oral History Research,鈥� Guest lecture for History 427: Re-Presenting Indigenous Histories.鈥溾�榊ou鈥檒l probably tell me that your grandmother was an Indian princess鈥�: Oral History Encounters with Political Activists,鈥� International Oral History Association Conference, Barcelona, Spain, July 2014. (Accepted)
鈥溾�榃e want to live as Indians鈥�: Political Resilience and the Negotiation of Aboriginal Politics in the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, 1969-1975,鈥� Western History Association. Tucson, Arizona, October 2013.
鈥溾�楽pitting Out the Foreign Society鈥�: Identity, Community, and Politics in the Oral History of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, 1969-1991,鈥� presented at 鈥淭alking about Protest: Oral History Methodology in Social and Political Movements Research,鈥� Institute for Advanced Study, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK, September 2013.
鈥淣avigating Community Politics and Conflicted Identities: A Graduate Student and Community based research,鈥� American Society for Ethnohistory. Ottawa, Ontario, October 2010.
鈥淭he Politics of Activism: The Understanding and Implementation of St贸:l玫 Political Activism.鈥� American Society for Ethnohistory. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 2009.
鈥淧roblems and Processes: First Nations and M茅tis Activism in Saskatchewan, 1929-1945.鈥漊niversity of Saskatchewan Department of History Colloquium. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, April 2008.
鈥溾�楽ayeen! Sayeen! 鈥揋et Off My Land!鈥�: The Historiography of the Nisga鈥檃 Final Agreement, 1999.鈥� University of Saskatchewan Buffalo History Conference. Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan, May 2007.
Awards
Post Secondary Education Bursary, Indspire (formerly National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation), 2014
Aboriginal Student Bursary, 大象传媒, 2013
Post Secondary Education Bursary, Indspire (formerly National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation), 2013
Aboriginal Graduate Student Bursary Award for Academic Conference Attendance and Presentation, Office for Aboriginal Peoples, 大象传媒, 2013
Graduate Student Society Professional Development Grant, 大象传媒, 2013
Aboriginal Community Engagement Award, 大象传媒, 2013
Aboriginal Community Engagement Award, 大象传媒, 2012
Post Secondary Education Bursary, Indspire (formerly National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation), 2012
Dr. J.V. Christensen Graduate Scholarship, 大象传媒, 2012
Robert Russell Family/First Nations Graduate Award, 大象传媒, 2012
President鈥檚 PhD Scholarship, 大象传媒, 2012
Aboriginal Student Bursary, 大象传媒, 2012
Community Trust Endowment Funds Graduate Fellowship, 大象传媒, 2012
Graduate Student Society Professional Development Grant, 大象传媒, 2012
IODE Seaman Morley Scott Memorial Scholarship, 大象传媒, 2011
Graduate Fellowship, 大象传媒, 2011
Aboriginal Student Bursary, 大象传媒, 2011
Post Secondary Education Bursary, National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, 2010
SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, 2010
William and Jane Saywell Graduate Scholarship in History, 大象传媒, 2010
Graduate Fellowship, 大象传媒, 2010
Special Targeted Entrance Scholarship, 大象传媒, 2009
Targeted Entrance Scholarship, 大象传媒, 2009
SSHRC Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships - Masters, 2007
Simpson Scholarship, University of Saskatchewan, 2006
David De Brou Memorial Scholarship, University of Saskatchewan, 2006
Academic Scholarship, University of Lethbridge, 2001-2003; 2005-2006
Entrance Scholarship, University of Lethbridge, 2001
Courses Taught
Sessional Instructor:
HIST 102: Canada Since Confederation, Fraser International College* (Fall 2012, Spring & Fall 2013 - 2015)
HIST 204: the Social History of Canada, Fraser International College (Fall 2014, Spring 2015)
HIST 485: Resistance, Radicalism, and Revolution: Social Movements and Activist Currents in Canada and the United States since 1960. Co-taught with Eryk Martin (Fall 2012)
* Fraser International College is affiliated with 大象传媒. History 102 curriculum and development is currently overseen by Professor Mark Leier, Department of History, 大象传媒.
Teaching Assistant:
HIST 102: Canada Since Confederation (Spring & Summer 2011)
HIST 101: Canada to Confederation (Summer 2010)
HIST 258.3: Prairie History since 1905, University of Saskatchewan (Spring 2007)
History 257.3: Prairie History to 1905, University of Saskatchewan (Fall 2006)