Dr. Brianna Rivière

Biography

Brianna Tafolla Rivière is an Assistant Professor in History, specializing in Twentieth-Century North American Indigenous history. Her dissertation, titled 'Reel Red Power: Indigenous Activism, Visual Sovereignty, Film Industry,' investigates how Native American activists have reshaped the representation of Indigenous Peoples in the United States through film. This work employs a lens of Indigenous futurism, spectacle, urban studies, and visual sovereignty, focusing on the Red Power activists and their impact on the political and social landscapes. Tafolla Rivière’s research significantly enhances the understanding of Indigenous histories in North America, revealing the complexities and evolving strategies of Indigenous activism in the era of mass media production. She is currently developing a book project that explores the intersections between the Red Power movement and the Chicano movement (El Movimiento), aiming to integrate Indigenous hemispheric epistemologies with Chicanx Studies. In addition to her research, she teaches courses on Indigenous history, popular culture, and film studies, drawing upon her experience as a Mexican Indigenous descendant involved in inter-tribal urban Indigenous organizations.

Research Interests