PhD Candidate, Department of History, Simon Fraser University
Madeline Knickerbocker is a PhD candidate in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. Her research with Stó:lõ Nation in BC’s Fraser Valley focuses on the history of museum creation from the 1960s onwards.
Exploring the development of Stó:lõ museums and cultural centres as a political as well as cultural phenomenon, Madeline’s work considers the extent to which the museums’ activation of collective historical consciousness fosters local nationalism, and potentially thereby fuels Stó:lõ assertions of political sovereignty. These museums’ simultaneous preservation of cultural heritage and affirmation of community identity cannot be politically underestimated, especially as Stó:lõ Nation continues to participate in the BC Treaty Process.
In addition to working with IPinCH, Madeline is also a regular contributor to “Teaching the Past: A Blog About Teaching History in Canada,” a blog from The History Education Network, and a volunteer for the Archives of Lesbian Oral Testimony. She has also worked at various museums in Vancouver, Toronto, and Mission, BC. She received a SSHRC for her dissertation research, and she holds a BA in History and French from SFU (2003) and a Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto (2010).
