Kisha Supernant

I am Métis/Papaschase/British and am the Director of the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology, as well as Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Alberta. I am an award-winning teacher, researcher, and writer, with research interests that include the relationship between cultural identities, landscapes, and the use of space, Métis archaeology, and heart-centered archaeological practice. My research with Indigenous communities (including Métis and First Nations) in western Canada explores how archaeologists and communities can build collaborative research relationships.

I am the principal investigator of the Exploring Métis Identity Through Archaeology (EMITA), a collaborative research project which takes a relational approach to exploring the material past of Métis communities, including my own family, in western Canada. Recently, I have been increasingly engaged in using remote sensing technologies to locate and protect unmarked burials around residential schools at the request of Indigenous communities. Since last May, I've spoken with 40 First Nations or Indigenous organizations about searching for loved ones buried in unmarked graves.

I have published in peer reviewed journals on GIS in archaeology, collaborative archaeological practice, Métis archaeology, and Indigenous archaeology in the post-TRC era. In 2019, I was named to Edmonton’s Top 40 under 40 by Avenue Magazine, and in 2021, I was elected as a member of the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars. I am also the current Vice-President of the Board of the Indigenous Heritage Circle.