William Parish

William (Cherokee Nation) is a second year PhD student in the Department of History with a focus on transnational and global Native American and Indigenous studies, with a particular focus on the intersection of spatiality and sovereignty. Specifically, William’s research investigates the transnational composition and foundations of Indigenous sovereignties and examines how these foundations manifest and operate through space/place. He seeks to use AI, virtual reality, and augmented reality to conceptualize historical Indigenous spaces and bring Indigenous views to bear on the technologies themselves. Prior to beginning his doctoral studies William was an international relations research at the Center for World Indigenous Studies during which time he helped build a transnational Indigenous network that could be leveraged to advance sovereignty and rights for Indigenous peoples worldwide. William is an outdoor enthusiast and in his free time he volunteers for environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). William earned his bachelor’s in History from Columbia University in 2015, and his master’s from the London School of Economics in 2018.”