Elise Boxer

Dr. Elise Boxer is an Associate Professor in the Department of History and Director of the Institute of American Indian Studies at the University of South Dakota. She is an enrolled citizen of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, specifically from the Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakota bands. Her research focuses on Indigenous peoples in the United States and their intersections with Mormonism, particularly the construction of 'Lamanite' identity and Mormon settler colonialism. Boxer holds a Ph.D. in American Indian History and U.S. History from Arizona State University (2009), along with a B.A. in History and Social Studies (2002) and an M.A. in American History (2002) from Washington State University and Utah State University, respectively.

Her work bridges academic disciplines, addressing themes of race, religion, and Indigenous sovereignty through publications like The Book of Mormon as Mormon Settler Colonialism (2019) and articles in the Journal of Mormon History. She has received grants such as the NSF-funded 'RII-BEC: Grounding science education in Indigenous knowledges' (2022–2027) and 'Sustainable Rivers: Integrating Earth Science & Sustainability' (2015–2016). Awards include the A&S Travel Grant (2014) and the Charles Redd Center Visiting Scholar Fellowship (2013).

Boxer actively engages in decolonizing academic practices, emphasizing community-based research and revitalizing Indigenous methodologies. She has presented widely on topics like Indigenous theories, Mormon history, and the impact of colonialism, collaborating with institutions such as the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies. Her teaching spans foundational Native Studies courses to specialized topics like 'Crime in Indian Country.'