Lisa Blee

Lisa Blee is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Wake Forest University, where she also coordinates the Cultural Heritage & Preservation Studies Minor. Her work focuses on American Indian and settler politics, historical narratives, and commemorations in the U.S. West. She earned a B.A. from Lewis and Clark College (2002) and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota (2008). Prior to her tenure at Wake Forest, she served as an Adjunct Instructor at Seattle University (2008–2009).

Her research explores intersections of memory, Indigenous sovereignty, and historical justice. Key publications include Framing Chief Leschi: Narratives and the Politics of Historical Justice (2014) and Monumental Mobility: The Memory Work of Massasoit (2019), which analyze how monuments and narratives shape collective memory. Her courses cover the American West, Native American history, environmental thought, and public history practices.

Her scholarship emphasizes Indigenous perspectives in historical narratives, challenging dominant settler colonial frameworks. Recent work examines urban Indigenous place names and diaspora communities' cultural preservation efforts. She actively engages in public history initiatives to democratize historical discourse.