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My first book, "The Heavens are Changing," examined 19th-century Protestant mission work among the First Nations of British Columbia’s north coast. I concentrated on the first generation of Tsimshian (Ts’msyen) Christians (1857-1901), when considerable agency and resistance to unwanted mission forms were still possible to examine the Indigenous role in mission work. I found not only their contributions to local churches, but how such forms were indigenized and made more relevant to Indigenous culture despite ongoing Christian colonialism. Recently my interests have turned to social histories focused on expressions of cultures that may have been first introduced by missionaries that have since taken on a distinctive life of their own meaningful expressions of Indigenous identities — marching bands and sports such as basketball. I strive towards developing more collaboratively based history projects done in conjunction with and participation by Indigenous communities. I am presently working on a book covering a range of topics related to the 20th-century Indigenous-church relationship.

• SSHRC Standard Research Grant, “At Prayer and Play: Missions, Sports, and the Ts’msyen” (2009-11, 2011-14).
• Canada-US Fulbright Senior Scholar, held at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2006).
• SSHRC Standard Research Grant, “Matters of Faith, Matters of Community: 20th Century Aboriginal Churches and Vernacular Christianity” (2003-05).
• WLU Merit Award (2003, 2007, 2014).
• WLU Internal Awards: 2008 SSHRC 4A Award (2008); Book Preparation Grant (2001, 2007); Course Remission Grant (2004); Short-Term Research Grant (2002); Post-doctoral Research Fellowship (2001).    
• Honorable Mention for Canadian Historical Association’s John Bullen Prize (2000).

I am willing to supervise graduate students, MA and PhD, as well as postdoctoral fellows, on topics related to Indigenous History in Canada; Indigenous Peoples and Colonialism; Indigenous North America; and Comparative Indigenous Ethnohistory.

Books

• Binnema, Ted, and Susan Neylan, eds. New Histories for Old: Changing Perspectives on Canada's Native Pasts. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2007.
• Neylan, Susan. The Heavens are Changing: Nineteenth-Century Protestant Missions and Tsimshian Christianity. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2003.

Selected Articles

• Neylan, Susan. "Clearing the Plains and Teaching the Dark Side of Canadian History," ; my essay was also reprinted in James Daschuk, Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Indigenous Life. New Edition (2nd) Regina, SK: University of Regina Press, 2019. According to the press, is the highest selling academic title published in Canada this century. 
• Downey, Allan and Susan Neylan, “Raven Plays Ball: Situating ‘‘Indian Sports Days’’ within Indigenous and Colonial Spaces in Twentieth-Century Coastal British Columbia,” Canadian Journal of History 50, no. 3 (Winter 2015): 442-468. You can read all about this article on this blog: Allan Downey, and Susan Neylan, “Racialized and Sporting Spaces on Canada’s West Coast,” University of Toronto Press Journals Blog, 12 April 2106. URL:
• Neylan, Susan. “Colonialism and Resettling British Columbia: Canadian Aboriginal Historiography, 1992-2012” and “Unsettling British Columbia: Canadian Aboriginal Historiography, 1992-2012” in History Compass Journal 11: 10 (Oct 2013): 833-844, 845-858.
• Neylan, Susan. "Shaking Up Christianity: The Indian Shaker Church in the Canada-U.S. Pacific Northwest," Journal of Religion 91, no. 2 (Apr 2011): 188-222.
• Neylan, Susan. With Melissa Meyer, “’Here Comes the Band!’: Cultural Collaboration, Connective Traditions, and Aboriginal Brass Bands on British Columbia’s North Coast, 1875-1964,” BC Studies, No. 152 (Winter 2006-07): 33-66.
• Neylan, Susan. "Encountering Spirits: Evangelical and Holiness Revivals in Victoria, BC, and the 'Colonial Project'" Histoire Sociale/Social History 36, no.71 (May 2003): 175-204.
• Neylan, Susan. "Longhouses, Schoolrooms, and Workers' Cottages: Nineteenth Century Protestant Missions to the Tsimshian and Transforming Class Through Religion," Journal of the Canadian Historical Association, new series, vol. 11 (2001): 51-86.
• Neylan, Susan. "'Eating the Angel's Food': Arthur Wellington Clah-an Aboriginal Perspective on Protestant Missions in Northern British Columbia, 1857-1909." Pp.88-108. In Canadian Missionaries, Indigenous Peoples: Representing Religion at Home and Abroad, edited by Alvyn Austin and Jamie S. Scott. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005.
• Neylan, Susan. "Contested Family: Navigating Kin and Culture in Protestant Missions to the Tsimshian, 1857-1896." Pp. 167-202. In Households of Faith: Family, Gender, and Community in Canada, 1730-1969, edited by Nancy Christie. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002.

Non-Refereed Publications

• Smith, Emma Rain, Susan Neylan, Aynur Kadir, Jean Becker, Helen Chimirri-Russell, Sid Heeg, and Shayla Rose, MuseWeb 2023 conference proceedings [open access].
• Neylan, Susan.In Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective vol. 11, issue 9, June 2018 [online] Published by the History Departments at The Ohio State University and Miami University
• Neylan, Susan “Dancing with History: Leanna Marshall’s Jingle Dresses, Historical Narratives, and Reconciliation” in Jordana Garbati, ed. Leanna Marshall’s Zaagi’idiwin: Silent, Unquestionable Act of Love, a catalogue for the exhibit which ran at the Robert Langen Art Gallery at WLU, 26 Feb-6 April 2018, pp. 19-23. Waterloo: Robert Langen Art Gallery, 2018.