Dr. Chris Finley

Biography

Chris Finley is an Assistant Professor in the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. She holds a Ph.D. in American Culture from the University of Michigan, where she completed her degree in December 2012. Finley's research explores Indigenous feminisms and queer Indigenous studies, delving into how U.S. popular culture shapes and sexualizes Native bodies, which often leads to their marginalization within white heteronormative frameworks. Her critique centers on settler colonialism and how American studies and Native studies must engage with the implications of biopower and sexuality as they pertain to Native peoples. Additionally, Finley participated in a Race Gender Postdoctoral Fellowship at Rutgers University from 2015 to 2016. Her scholarly work emphasizes the importance of decolonization and highlights the roles of visual culture in representing Native identities.

Research Interests

Experience