Rachel Bryant

Rachel Bryant is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Humanities and Languages at the University of New Brunswick’s Saint John campus. Her research focuses on colonial and settler colonial literary histories, particularly non-Indigenous responsibilities under Peace and Friendship Treaties and Wolastoqewi-led education initiatives. She collaborates with Wabanaki artists and scholars to decolonize knowledge production, emphasizing land-based education and treaty relationships. Bryant teaches courses on Indigenous and North American literary histories, receiving awards for her pedagogical excellence including the 2021-2022 Departmental Award for Teaching Excellence.

Her scholarly work examines intersections between colonial texts and ecological exploitation, with publications in Settler Colonial Studies, AlterNative, and Canadian Literature. Her monograph The Homing Place (2017) redefines Atlantic literary legacies through Indigenous-settler entanglements. Bryant’s research also traces pre-pulp paper industries in New Brunswick and critiques Moses Perley’s colonial propaganda’s modern resonance. She holds a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2017-2020) and has held research roles at Dalhousie University’s Atlantic Canada Studies Centre and the Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre.

Her professional service includes roles as Honours Advisor for English at UNB Saint John, member of the Graduate Academic Unit, and committee representative for Piluwitahasuwawsuwicik (Saint John’s Indigenous student support initiative). Bryant actively engages with community organizations like the Saint John Free Public Library and the New Brunswick Public Libraries Board, advocating for accessible cultural resources.

Bryant’s current research emphasizes treaty-based pedagogies, collaborative storytelling with Indigenous artists, and reinterpreting colonial texts through decolonial frameworks. Her work bridges academic scholarship with public engagement, including keynote addresses and participatory art projects that center Indigenous knowledges.