Matthew I. Mitchell

Matthew I. Mitchell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Arts and Science. He holds a Ph.D. from Queen’s University and previously served as an Assistant Professor at Saint Paul University. His research focuses on African politics, global indigenous politics, land tenure reform, migration and conflict dynamics, and natural resource governance. Mitchell has conducted fieldwork across multiple African nations and Canada, and leads a SSHRC Insight Grant studying 'Sons of the Soil' conflicts in Ontario and Quebec.

Education:

• Ph.D., Political Studies, Queen's University (2013)
• M.A., Études Internationales, Université Laval (2008)
• B.A., International Studies, University of Saskatchewan (2004)

Research Interests: Mitchell's work examines intersections of land rights, resource governance, and conflict resolution in Africa and Canada. Key themes include UNDRIP implementation, cocoa sector political ecology, and the role of demographic shifts in state-building. His fieldwork spans Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Uganda, and Canada.

Recent Work Trends: Recent publications analyze UNDRIP compliance in Canada, Quebec's Plan Nord development, and land conflicts in DR Congo and Uganda. His scholarship bridges African studies with global indigenous rights frameworks, emphasizing policy implications of resource governance.

Grants & Awards:

• SSHRC Insight Grant (2017-2025) - Principal Investigator
• SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2013-2014)

Labs/Teams: Mitchell leads interdisciplinary research teams on topics like Canadian Indigenous consultation frameworks and African land reform. He co-edits major volumes such as New Approaches to the Governance of Natural Resources (2014) and People Changing Places (2019).