Leslie A. Robertson

Leslie A. Robertson is an Associate Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Anthropology, within the Faculty of Arts. She holds a Ph.D. (2001) from UBC, an MA (1994) from the University of Calgary, and a BA (1991) from Simon Fraser University.

Her research focuses on Indigenous and settler colonialism, collaborative ethnography, and the intersections of memory and colonialism. Key projects include intergenerational histories with Indigenous communities, cultural impact assessments of resource projects, and studies on health and housing in marginalized urban populations. Robertson has led major grants, including SSHRC-funded projects on vulnerability mapping during the pandemic and Nak’azdli Territory’s historical reclamation efforts.

Her awards include the Wheeler-Voegelen Prize (2013) and multiple book prizes for her work on Indigenous activism and colonial histories. Robertson is also an editor of BC Studies and has authored/co-authored influential texts like Standing Up with Ga’axsta’las and Imagining Difference.

Her teaching and research emphasize community collaboration, with notable projects involving First Nations communities in British Columbia. Current initiatives explore digital representations of Indigenous histories and the ‘afterlife’ of colonialism through ethnography and oral narratives.