Heather Miyano Kopelson

Heather Miyano Kopelson is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Alabama. She holds a PhD from the University of Iowa (2008) and specializes in the history of race, gender, and religion in the early Americas. Her work bridges Indigenous studies, material culture, and sensory history, with a focus on colonial interactions involving Indigenous women's contributions to cultural and spiritual practices.

Her research interests include transatlantic slavery, the African diaspora, and performance studies. Current projects involve analyzing Indigenous women’s material contributions to ritual dance through objects like feathers and shells. She teaches courses on colonial America, gender in the African diaspora, and Native American history.

• Received the John Murrin Prize (2013) for 'One Indian and a Negroe.'
• Elected to non-resident membership in the Colonial Society of Massachusetts (2014).
• Awarded fellowships from institutions including the Newberry Library and the American Antiquarian Society.

Her book Faithful Bodies explores embodied religion and race in the Puritan Atlantic. Ongoing projects include Speaking Objects, examining Indigenous women’s material contributions to dance in the early Americas.