Colleen O'Neill

Colleen O'Neill is an Associate Professor of History at Utah State University, where she has served as coeditor of the Western Historical Quarterly. Her research focuses on Native American labor history, colonial policies, and Indigenous sovereignty within the context of US western expansion. She holds a PhD from Rutgers University (1997), an MA from New Mexico State University (1989), and a BA from Pomona College (1983).

• PhD: History, Rutgers University, 1997
• MA: History, New Mexico State University, 1989
• BA: Government, Pomona College, 1983

Her research explores intersections between Indigenous labor practices and colonial institutions, particularly among Navajo communities. Major works include Working the Navajo Way: Labor and Culture in the Twentieth Century and an upcoming book Labour and Sovereignty: The Transformation of Work in Indian Country, 1890 to the Present. Current projects include a biography of Arizona political figure Rosa McKay and analysis of urban relocation programs' impact on Native families.

Her scholarship examines themes such as tribal sovereignty in labor contexts, federal assimilation policies, and Indigenous responses to capitalist systems. Recent work highlights how Navajo workers navigated off-reservation wage labor while maintaining cultural practices.

Grant activities include National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships and Utah State University research grants supporting her sovereignty studies project. No formal advisees listed, though she mentors graduate students through USU's history program.