Dr. Pamela Spalding

Biography

Pamela Spalding is an Assistant Professor in the Indigenous Studies program at the University of Victoria, specializing in ethnobotany and resource stewardship. She is a Métis Canadian with connections to Scottish and Cree Ojibwe heritage from the Red River area in Manitoba. Her research primarily focuses on the relationships between Indigenous peoples and plants, exploring themes such as Indigenous feminism, Indigenous legal orders, and customary legal landscapes. Notably, her collaborative research with the T’Sou-ke Nation over the past decade highlights the significance of traditional plant use in the economies and lifeways of Indigenous peoples, particularly women, in North America. This work calls for a broader discussion on the integration of Indigenous plant usage within ecosystem management and governance practices in Canada. Spalding has also held a Mellon postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Global Indigenous Cultures and Environmental Justice at Syracuse University, where she studied Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee relationships with the natural world as articulated through legal frameworks. Outside of her academic pursuits, she enjoys gardening, harvesting, camping, hiking, and kayaking, and has been involved in music education for children, particularly interested in learning the Métis fiddle.

Research Interests