Brianne in 2023 with samples of her creative beadwork as the background. Photos by Quinn Downton.
I can say unreservedly that Brianne was an exceptional student. She was a pleasure to have in the classroom—a generous peer, an able discussant, and a producer of outstanding written work. She was someone with whom one could have long, thoughtful conversations about her research. A deeply reflective, thorough, and critical thinker, Brianne was, by every measure, a fine historian in the making.
Academic awards
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), 2023-2024
- KW-Canadian Federation of University Women Scholarship, 2023
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canadian Graduate Scholarship,2022
- OGS2022 (declined)
- Dean’s Graduate Scholarship,2022
- Dwinnell-Steffler Scholarship, 2021. The History Department award as one of its top students entering fourth-year undergraduate studies
- Laurier In-Course Scholarship, 2018-2022
- Dean’s List, 2018-2022, every year of undergraduate studies
Brianne Casey, a proud Métis woman, award-winning scholar, and talented artist, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at the age of 23 after a hard fought battle with cancer. Brianne had nearly finished her MA in History at Wilfrid Laurier University (Laurier) and was part of the Tri-University Graduate Program in History family.
Brianne's MA Major Research Paper examines the life of Stoney-Nakoda activist Walking Buffalo (Tatanga Mani) and his role in Moral Re-Armament, a spiritual and international mid-century movement. She persisted to work on this project right up until her death.
In 2023, Brianne was accepted into the Tri-U PhD program through Laurier, where she planned to continue her research into the life of Walking Buffalo and perceptions of Indigenous peoples in Canada under the supervision of Professor Susan Neylan. Brianne aspired to eventually teach at Laurier. (See sidebar, right).
Brianne's academic career began in Laurier's unique BA+MA program. As an undergraduate, she studied popular perceptions of Indigenous peoples in western Canada in a fourth-year seminar course, where she worked with a wealth of primary documents.
As an emerging researcher, Brianne served as a research assistant to Professor Amy Milne-Smith, who became a mentor. She was also a Copp Scholar at the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada, where she worked on projects related to alternative health in Canada and Canadian climate policies with Laurier’s Dr. Alexandra Boutros (Communication Studies) and Dr. Debora Van Nijnatten (Political Science). Towards the end of her life, she was a student archivist with the Flamborough Archives.
Brianne took every opportunity to build her research presentation skills. At the 2023 Tri-University History Conference, her talk “Wrangling the White Man’s Indian: the Construction of Indigenous Peoples in the Calgary Stampede, 1945-1990,” examined Canadian rodeo events like the Banff Indian Days as a “contact zone” between Indigenous peoples and Settlers. In doing so, Brianne focused on these events as both a commodification of “Indianness” and as a means for Indigenous resurgence.
Later in 2023, Brianne presented to the Tri-U Graduate Student Association (TUGSA) Public History panel. Her presentation, “Sacajawea at the Fair: Creating Legend at the Lewis & Clark Exposition, 1905,” explored how the historical Indigenous figure Sacajawea’s image had been represented and manufactured to reflect twentieth century messages about empire.
Dr. Blaine Chiasson, who served as the MA graduate officer during Brianne's time as a student says that, "Brianne was among the most accomplished, polished, organized and well prepared MAs I had the pleasure to work with."
Brianne was the recipient of many scholarships and educational awards (see sidebar left). She will be awarded the MA in History posthumously in June, 2025.
“Once Brianne approved of something or someone she was ‘all in,’ and was entirely devoted to the person or cause…. She lived her life on her own terms -- fully and completely.”
Brianne Skylar Casey is dearly missed by her mother Kimberly (Cameron), her sister Chloe, her grandparents, her boyfriend Quinn, her cat Meeko, and many other friends.
--Thanks to Quinn Downton, Brianne's partner, for his input and the photos that made this tribute possible.
PhD research plan
Brianne's doctoral research, “Walking the Road to Resurgence: Activist Shamans, the Indian Ecumenical Conferences, and the Spiritual Revitalization Movement of the Red Power Era, 1959-1979,” was to focus on activist and spiritual leader of the Stoney-Nakoda nation, Tatanga Mani/Chief Walking Buffalo.
Building upon her MA project, her doctoral work aspired to better understand the nature of decolonization nationally and transnationally, Indigenous cultural resurgence, and religious activism through the lived experience and leadership of this Indigenous leader.
As a Métis scholar, Brianne was uniquely positioned to engage in inquiry that sought to blur the boundaries of academic scholarship that silos peace activism and new Christian movements from Indigenous teachings, political protest, and cultural resurgences. Her work would have undoubtedly contributed to a better acknowledgement of the deep spiritual dimensions present within the Red Power movement, and how supporting Indigenous cultural resurgence involved local, national, and international activist initiatives, including ones that incorporated Christian teachings and non-Indigenous organizations.
Dr. Susan Neylan
Quinn Downton, whom Brianne met through shared classes at Laurier during her MA and subsequently lived with, recently graduated with an MA in History under the supervision of Amy Milne-Smith, an important mentor figure for both Brianne and Quinn.
Brianne lived her life with determination and confidence. Her creative spirit was demonstrated through her beadwork, embroidery, sewing and pottery.
I was lucky enough to meet Brianne as an incredibly sharp and shy prospective undergraduate student. It was my honour to watch her develop and to find her voice as the exceptional scholar and person that she was.