Dr. Leslie Robertson

Biography

Leslie Robertson is a socio-cultural anthropologist with over 30 years of experience working in rural and urban Indigenous and settler communities across Western Canada, focusing on the Káinai, Ktunaxa, DTES, Kwak’waka’wakw, and Tsimshian Nak’azdli territories. Her research centers on responses to the myriad circumstances and contexts surrounding colonial relationships through a lens that values memory, voice, and place. This includes examining how different forms of social knowledge and representations circulate within sensitive political contexts such as settler colonialism, extractivism, medical crises, war, historical immigration, and labor conflict. Professor Robertson's primary research projects include collaborative work with Indigenous communities to generate counter-histories and critically assess dominant anthropological approaches, particularly regarding the implications of legal realities. She has held multiple roles in research, community-engaged projects, and education, dedicating her career to studying food sovereignty, health, and the impacts of colonial legacies. She is also a prolific author with numerous publications addressing various anthropological and historical themes.

Research Interests

Awards