Julie Burelle

Julie Burelle is an Associate Professor of Performance Studies at the University of California, San Diego’s Department of Theatre + Dance. Her work centers decolonial frameworks, Indigenous sovereignty, and cultural repatriation through performance. She is a leading scholar in Indigenous studies and Performance Studies, with notable publications including Encounters on Contested Lands (2019), which won multiple awards. Burelle’s research explores how Indigenous communities assert sovereignty through performative practices, particularly in Quebec and beyond. She co-authored Xajoj Tun (2021), analyzing Ondinnok’s Rabinal Achi production. As a dramaturg, she collaborates with theatre companies like Sledgehammer Theatre and Native Voices at the Autry, emphasizing collaborative and culturally grounded practices. Recognized for her DEI contributions, she received UCSD’s 2017 Diversity Teaching Award and a 2018 Hellman Fellowship. Burelle serves on editorial boards for Theatre Research in Canada and Percées: explorations en arts vivants. Her work bridges academic and practical realms, advocating for Indigenous agency in artistic and pedagogical spaces.

Education: PhD in Performance Studies from UC San Diego. Research focuses on Native American/First Nations theatre, decolonial methodologies, and Indigenous performance sovereignty. Office: Galbraith Hall 305, UCSD.