Carmen Robertson was the Canada Research Chair in North American Indigenous Visual and Material Culture in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences from 2018 to 2025, jointly appointed between the School for Studies in Art and Culture, the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Institute for Comparative Studies in Literature, Art, and Culture. A Scots-Lakota professor of art history, her research centers around contemporary Indigenous arts and constructions of Indigeneity in popular culture. Before joining 杏吧原创, she taught at University of Regina and First Nations University of Canada in Saskatchewan for seventeen years.
In 2016, Robertson published both Norval Morrisseau: Art and Life (Art Canada Institute) and Mythologizing Norval Morrisseau: Art and the Colonial Narrative in the Canadian Media (University of Manitoba Press). Her essays have been published in such scholarly journals as American Indian Quarterly, the Journal of Canadian Art History, Media History, Canadian Art Review (RACAR), Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, and Third Text. Seeing Red: A History of Natives in Canadian Newspapers (University of Manitoba Press, 2011), which Robertson co-authored with Mark Cronlund Anderson, has elicited awards and favourable reviews by both scholars and non-academics.
Robertson sits on the editorial board of The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education and RACAR and holds memberships in a number of scholarly associations. She is a member of the Board of Governors for the Social Science and Humanities Council and the Norval Morrisseau Heritage Society. She also maintains an independent curatorial practice. She recently guest curated the Dana Claxton: The Sioux Project鈥擳atanka Oyate exhibition and symposium at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, SK (2017-18).
Robertson鈥檚 teaching is concentrated in contemporary Indigenous art history and curatorial studies. She is an advocate of hands-on, experiential learning and has led study trips to Peru as well as to galleries and museums to provide students with learning opportunities beyond the classroom setting.
Monographs and Books
Mythologizing Norval Morrisseau: Art and the Colonial Narrative in the Canadian Media.听Monograph. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2016.
Norval Morrisseau: Life and Art. E-book. Toronto: Art Canada Institute, 2016.
co-authored with Mark Cronlund Anderson, Seeing Red: A History of Natives in Canada鈥檚听Newspapers. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2011.
With Sherry Farrell Racette, Editors. Clearing a Path: New Ways of Seeing Traditional Indigenous听Art. Regina: Canadian Plains Research Centre, 2009.
Book Chapters and Essays in Edited Collections
With Mark Anderson, 鈥淐reation Stories, Ethnic Cleansing, And Imaginary Indians: A Guide to
Nation Building in Canada.鈥� Viagens Intemporais pelo Saber: Mapas, redes e hist贸rias. Porto, Portugal: CEI, 2017, 367-384. E-book.
鈥淭he Beauty of a Story: Toward an Indigenous Art Theory.鈥� The Routledge International听Handbook of Intercultural Arts Research. Edited by Burnard, Pam, Liz Mackinlay and Kimberly Powell. 13-28. London: Routledge, 2016.
鈥淢ishomis in Black and White: Reconciling Press Images of an Indigenous Artist鈥� 罢别肠耻尘蝉别丑鈥檚听Vision: Indigenous Borders After the War of 1812 Edited by McNab, Paul Emile, David 听听听 McNab, and Ute Lischke. 109-134. Winnipeg: Aboriginal Issues Press, 2015.
鈥淕rey Owl: Noble Savage Poster Boy,鈥� Overlooking Saskatchewan: Minding the Gap.听Edited by Rogers, Randal and Ramsay, Christine. 167-182. Regina: University of听Regina Press, 2014.
鈥淧aper Trail: PNIAI Artists in Winnipeg Newspapers, 1966-1977鈥� Seven: Professional Native听Indian Artists, Inc. Edited by Lavallee, Michelle. 225-232. Regina: Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2014.
鈥淭elling Stories on Canvas: An Analysis of Norval Morrisseau鈥檚 Visual Narratives.鈥� The Memory of听Native in Aboriginal, Canadian and American Contexts. Edited by Besson, Francoise,听听 听 听 听 听Claire Omhovere, and Heliane Ventura. 304-316.Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars听Publishing, 2014.
鈥淚ndian Princess/Indian 鈥楽quaw鈥�: Representations of Indigenous Women in Canada鈥檚 Printed听Press,鈥� Culture and Power: Identity and Identification. Edited by Martin-Albo,
Angel听Mateos-Aparicio and Eduardo de Gregorio-Godeo. 129-146. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge听听Scholars Publishing, 2013.
鈥淚maginary Citizens: The White Paper and the Whitewash in the Press,鈥� Narratives of Citizenship:Indigenous and Diasporic Peoples Unsettle the Nation State. Edited by Fleischmann, A,
Van Styvendale & C McCarroll. 233-262. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2011.
鈥淥n the Road with Bob,鈥� in Lee-Ann Martin, ed., Bob Boyer: His Life鈥檚 Work. 191-209. Regina: MacKenzie Art Gallery, 2008.
听
Journal Articles
鈥�Land and Beaded Identity: Shaping Art Histories of Indigenous Women of the Flatland,鈥� Revue听d鈥檃rt canadienne/Canadian Art Review, Vol. 432, No. 2 (Fall 2017): 13-29.
“Thunderbirds and Concepts of Transformation in the Art of Norval Morrisseau.” Journal of听Canadian Art History, vol. 33, 2 (2012): 53-70.
“Utilizing PEARL to Teach Indigenous Art History: A Canadian Example.” Australian Journal of听Indigenous Education, vol. 41,1 (2012): 60-66.
鈥淭rickster in the Press鈥� Media History, Vol. 14:1 (2008): 72-93.
鈥淏ody Politics: The Art of Norval Morrisseau鈥� Revue d鈥檃rt canadienne/Canadian Art Review, Vol.听32,1-2 (2007): 70-78.
with Angela Weber. 鈥淭eaching Indian Art History: A Conversation about Post-Secondary听Indigenous Art Education鈥� Third Text Vol. 21, 3 (2007): 341-356.
with Mark Anderson. 鈥淭he 鈥楤ended Elbow News,鈥橩enora, 1974: How a Small-town Newspaper听Promoted Colonialism.鈥� American Indian Quarterly, vol. 31:3 (2007): 410-440.
鈥淭he Reel Norval Morrisseau: An Analysis of The National Film Board of Canada鈥檚 Paradox of听Norval Morrisseau.鈥� International Journal of Learning, Vol. 11. Fall (2005): 315-321.
听
Book Reviews
Review of French Primitivism and the Ends of Empire, 1947-1975 by Daniel J. Sherman听(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011) for Museum Anthropology, 36 (2): 2013.
Review of Radical Human Ecology: Intercultural and Indigenous Approaches by Lewis Williams, Rose Roberts & Alistair McIntosh (eds). Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 42 (1) 2013.
Review of 鈥淥ur Indian Princes鈥�: Subverting the Stereotype by Nancy M. Mithlo (Washington: SAR Press, 2008) for Canadian Journal of Native Studies, June 2011.
Published Reviews of My Work
Kelm, Mary-Ellen. Review of 鈥淪eeing Red: A History of Natives in Canada鈥檚 Newspapers (2011)听in American Historical Review 118, 3 Summer (2013).
Matthew Tegelberg, A Review of Seeing Red: A History of Natives in Canada鈥檚 Newspapers鈥澨�2011) in Canadian Journal of Communication 38,1 (2013).
Callison, Candice. 鈥淓nduring Colonialism in Canadian News,鈥� A Review of Seeing Red: A History听of Natives in Canada鈥檚 Newspapers (2011) in Canadian Literature: A Quarterly of Literature and Review 212, Spring (2012).
Sinclair, James Niigaanwewidam. 鈥淩ed Difficult to Find in Black and White: A Review of Seeing听Red鈥� Winnipeg Free Press 11 December 2011.
Longman, Mary. Review of 鈥淐learing a Path: New Ways of Seeing Traditional Indigenous Art.鈥澨�Great Plains Quarterly, 31,2 Spring (2011) 160.
Curatorial Publications
鈥淭he Making of a Movement: Chee Chee and Trailbazing Artists of the 1960s and 1970s鈥澨�Benjamin Chee Chee Exhibition, Temiskaming Art Gallery, Haileysbury, ON, February-听听听听 April 2018.
鈥淟AND(scape): Terence Houle: GIVN鈥橰鈥� DAG Volumes: No.1(2012) Edited by Curtis Collins. 45-50.Regina: Regina Public Library, 2012.
鈥淟ife Elsewhere: Rachelle Viader Knowles,鈥� Essay. Art Gallery of Regina, Saskatchewan. 2010.
鈥淪omewhere In Between, The Art of Sean Whalley and John Henry Fine Day,鈥� Essay. Estevan:听Art Gallery of Estevan, Saskatchewan. 2009.
Real Estate: Ceremonies of Possession鈥� Essay. Regina: Art Gallery of Regina, Saskatchewan.听2007.
鈥淐learing A Path: Indigenous Traditional Arts in Saskatchewan鈥� Essay. 2005.
鈥淣eal McLeod: Abstraction and Myth鈥� Dunlop Annual Art Series. Edited by Donna Wazwonek.听Regina: Dunlop Art Gallery. 2004.
鈥淔rom Wigwas to Canvas: Generations of Woodland Art,鈥� Mackenzie Art Gallery essay. 2003. Otherspace: 6 Degrees of Exploration,鈥� Exhibition Catalogue, Rosemont Gallery, Regina,听听 听 听 听 听 Saskatchewan. 2003.
听
Curation
- 鈥淒ana Claxton:The Sioux Project鈥擳atanka Oyate鈥� Exhibition and symposium, MacKenzie Art Gallery. September-January 2017-2018, Regina, SK.
- 鈥淎nxieties鈥� Art Gallery of Regina. December 2016-February 2017, Regina, SK.
- 鈥淐herished Things鈥� Co-curation of exhibition with Dr. Farrell Racette. July, 2010. Harbourfront Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
- 鈥淐learing A Path: Indigenous Traditional Arts in Saskatchewan鈥� Co-curation of exhibition with Dr. Sherry Farrell Racette. Saskatchewan Arts Board.听 Opening November 15, 2005. Exhibition touring until 2009. Re-curated for Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver, BC February 2009, Round House Cultural Centre, Vancouver, BC.
- 鈥淩eal Estate: Ceremonies of Possession.鈥澨� Art Gallery of Regina, SK. September-October 2007.
- 鈥淔rom Wigwas to Canvas: Generations of Woodland Art,鈥� Mackenzie Art Gallery Outreach Exhibition and essay. 2003-2005.