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Graduate Studies Opportunity (MA History) for students with a BA in History (Energy History/Environmental History/ Canadian History/History of Science and Technology) or BA in Indigenous Studies 

The Department of History in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Calgary has an opportunity for a history student to pursue their Master of Arts (MA) with dedicated funding within a research project that focuses on the history and impacts of oil and gas extraction at Tłegǫ́hłı̨ (Norman Wells, NWT). The SSHRC-funded partnership project “From Treaty to Land Claim: Energy, Environment, and Dene and Métis Ts'ı̨lı̨ (Ways of Life) in the Sahtú Region” prioritizes community-driven research and Indigenous approaches and brings together and jointly trains the next generation of Indigenous and settler researchers. Training activities include: virtual study circles, fieldwork, an in-person gathering in the Sahtú region, an archival workshop at the Glenbow Western Research Centre, and artistic outputs supported by the UCalgary Energy Stories Lab. Through these activities, Indigenous and settler researchers will experience different ways of knowing, including oral histories, land-based methodologies, western science, and archival research. Together both groups will also learn how to engage in cross-cultural and transdisciplinary scholarship, and respectful and reciprocal knowledge sharing. 

Project Description 

Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories is the site of one of Canada's oldest oil fields. Operated by Imperial Oil Limited since 1920, petroleum extraction there has left substantial marks on the land and Dene and Métis people of the Sahtú region. Extending over more than a century, the ongoing and cumulative effects of extraction activities at Norman Wells are significant and need to be addressed, especially as plans are being made for closure and reclamation of Imperial’s Norman Wells Operations. Sahtú communities want a full accounting of the impacts on the land, water, animals, people, and Dene and Métis ways of life. For more details about the project, please visit https://www.srrb.nt.ca/research/projects/dene-mapping/2021-ongoing-petroleum-histories-project. 

Graduate Supervisor 

Dr. Petra Dolata is an energy historian researching 20th-century energy histories in Western Europe and North America as well as the history of energy transitions. 

Qualifications 

• BA in History or BA in Indigenous Studies. 
• MA project related to the partnership project. 

How to express interest? 

Candidates should email Dr. Petra Dolata before December 1, 2024, and indicate how their research interests and experience are suited to this funding opportunity. 

Although the funding package is tied to the researcher, prospective students must follow the formal application process for graduate study at the University of Calgary and meet the terms of admission for the thesis-based MA in History. For more information please visit: https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/history-ma-thesis 

We recognize that a diverse graduate student community benefits and enriches the learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To support our progress, we will be asking qualified applicants to self-identify in a voluntary survey. Preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. Graduate Studies at the University of Calgary 

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information on graduate studies at the University of Calgary, visit grad.ucalgary.ca.