Rosalyn LaPier

Rosalyn LaPier is a Professor of History at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. A member of the Blackfeet Tribe of Montana and Métis, they specialize in Indigenous environmental history, traditional ecological knowledge, and ethnobotany. Their research emphasizes revitalizing Indigenous languages and strengthening public policy for Indigenous communities. LaPier has authored two award-winning books—Invisible Reality (2017) and City Indian (2015)—and contributed to over 100 articles/commentaries.

LaPier’s work bridges academia and public engagement, including advising museums like the Smithsonian Institution and co-founding Saokio Heritage, a community organization led by Indigenous women. Current projects include a Smithsonian exhibit on bison (opening 2026) and advocacy for Indigenous sacred lands protection. They have received prestigious awards for their scholarship and appear in documentaries like Ken Burns’ The American Buffalo (2023).

Teaching spans 25 years across universities and Indigenous institutions, focusing on American Indian history, environmental justice, and gender studies. Their research areas include colonialism’s environmental impacts, Native American urban activism, and Indigenous women’s knowledge systems.