The Making of Public History

"The Making of Public History” virtual panel will centre the research of Tri-University graduate students who examine public history from political, environmental, and cultural perspectives.

Panelists

Brianne Casey (Laurier)

Sacajawea at the Fair: Creating Legend at the Lewis & Clark Exposition, 1905

Brianne Casey is an MA student in history at Wilfrid Laurier University under the supervision of Dr. Susan Neylan. Her research focuses on Indigenous histories of resistance, rights, and resilience. In particular, Brianne's MA research examines the activism of Tatanga Mani - a Stoney-Nakoda Chief and elder - and highlights his articulations of Indigenous sovereignty, pan-Indigenous organization, and Indigenous rights throughout the early Red Power era.

Benji Smith (Waterloo)

Presidency of Chaos: Historical Perceptions of President Bill Clinton's Impeachment

Benji Smith is a first-year PhD student studying under Dr. Andrew Hunt. His research focuses on Presidential Impeachment and how factors like partisan politics, media coverage, and public perception have impacted impeachment’s overall effectiveness. Benji received his MA in History from Waterloo in 2020, where he studied the extent of presidential authority advocated by Dick Cheney from 1972-2008.

Nicole Vankooten (Waterloo)

"Yours to Discover": The Role of Provincial Parks in Public Environmental History

Nicole is an MA student at the University of Waterloo, who is focusing her studies on environmental history under the supervision of Dr. Steven Bednarski. After spending two summers tree planting in Northern Ontario, she plans to bring her passion for forestry to her academic career through a Major Research Paper on Medieval English Forestry. Nicole is particularly interested in using environmental history as a tool for developing sustainable practices and analyzing historical attitudes toward the environment to better understand natural resource management.