Caroline Desbiens

Caroline Desbiens serves as a Full Professor within the Department of Geography at Laval University's Faculty of Forestry, Geography and Geomatics. She holds the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Heritage and Tourism and maintains key affiliations as an Associate Researcher at the Interuniversity Center for Indigenous Studies and Research (CIÉRA) and Board Member of Dialog – Indigenous Peoples Research and Knowledge Network, demonstrating deep integration with Indigenous research communities.

Her educational foundation includes a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Concordia University, followed by an MA in Comparative Literature and PhD in Geography from the University of British Columbia, creating a unique interdisciplinary lens for her geographical work.

Dr. Desbiens' research critically examines Indigenous territorial relationships through frameworks of heritage conservation, cultural landscapes, and feminist geography. She investigates sacred site preservation, Indigenous resurgence in tourism contexts, and the co-construction of knowledge systems, emphasizing community-led approaches to cultural landscape management and environmental stewardship.

Her singular major recognition is the prestigious Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Heritage and Tourism, reflecting national leadership in this field.

She actively mentors 6 current graduate students (4 doctoral, 2 master's) while having guided 8 students to completion in the past five years. Her $4.2M+ research portfolio includes SSHRC Partnership Grants like 'Piiskuutamakuunipiijuu' (2022-2029) and FRQNT projects examining Indigenous environmental stewardship, cultural landscape documentation, and Arctic economic transitions through networks like WAGE and Dialog.

As Director of Dialog and participant in the Indigenous Peoples Research Network, she drives collaborative initiatives advancing Indigenous knowledge sovereignty and cross-institutional research partnerships across Canadian universities.