Cody Groat

- Assistant Professor

image of Cody Groat

PhD, Wilfrid Laurier University, 2023
Email: cgroat@uwo.ca 
Telephone: 519-661-2111 ext. 82614
Office: LWH 2224 
Office hours: Mondays 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Biography

Cody Groat is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History and the Indigenous Studies Program. He is Kanyen'kehaka (Mohawk) and a band member of Six Nations of the Grand River. His father, William, was a survivor of the Sixties Scoop, and his grandparents, Stanley and Sarah, were survivors of the Indian Residential School System, including the Mohawk Institute. He completed an MA in World Heritage Studies from the University of Birmingham (UK) in 2017 through the International Centre for Heritage and a PhD in History from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2023. His research is focused on Indigenous cultural heritage including the commemoration of Indigenous peoples through municipal, provincial, federal, and international designations. His research is also concerned with access to information and how these policies relate to the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples, touching on records that are held by the federal government, children's aid societies, and local police departments. Outside of Western, Cody serves as the Chair of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO Memory of the World Advisory Committee, responsible for recognizing Canda's most significant collections of documentary heritage.

Research Interests

My research relates to both public history and biographical history. I am interested in the commemoration, preservation, and stewardship of Indigenous cultural heritage by provincial, federal, and international bodies; including archaeological sites, cultural landscapes, documentary heritage, and cultural items. My research relating to biographical history is funded through a SSHRC Insight Development Grant titled The Kayanerekó:wa, Indigenous Identity, and Intergenerational Haudenosaunee Histories (2024- 2026). This traces the lineage of the Groat family of Six Nations of the Grand River from the mid-1700s through to the present day considering themes such as Indigenous sovereignty and legislated identity. This project critically considers Access to Information legislation in both Canada and the United States, particularly in relation to the records of the Sixties Scoop and the Indian Residential School System.

Books, Articles, & Works Published

  • Always a Part of the Land: the Federal Commemoration of Indigenous Peoples (McGill-Queen's University Press, forthcoming 2025).
  • "The Stewardship, Preservation, and Commemoration of the Mohawk Institute," in Behind the Bricks: The Life and Times of the Mohawk Institute, the Model for the Canadian Residential School System ed by Rick Hill, Alison Norman, Thomas Peace, and Jennifer Pettit (University of Calgary Press, forthcoming 2025).
  • “Guardians of our Knowledge: Indigenous Peoples and the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme,” Canadian Commission for UNESCO IdeaLab Policy Paper, 2023.
  • “Holding Place: Resistance, Reframing and Relationally in the Representation of Indigenous History,” with Kim Anderson, Historic Perspectives Dossier on Commemoration for The Canadian Historical Review, 2021, Vol. 102 (03), pp. 465-484.
  • “Commemoration and Reconciliation: The Mohawk Institute as a World Heritage Site,” British Journal of Canadian Studies, 2018, Vol. 31 (2), pp. 195-208.
  • Canadian Stories: A Teenaged Adventure with Presidents, Drag Queens and Drug Lords (Rapido Books, 2016)

Awards

  • King Charles III Coronation Medal, Office of the Governor General of Canada  
  • SSHRC Insight Development Grant, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2024- 2026) - $45,989.00
  • Doctoral Gold Medal of Academic Excellence, Wilfrid Laurier University (2024)
  • National Trust for Canada Governors' Award (2022) for Indigenous Heritage and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with the Indigenous Heritage Circle, Karen Aird, Catherine Bell, Julie Harris, and Catherine Cole.
  • Canadian Historical Association - Indigenous History Best Article Prize (2022), "Holding Place: Resistance, Reframing, and Relationality in the Representation of Indigenous History" with Kim Anderson, Canadian Historical Review
  • SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2019-2021) - $60,000
  • Shortlisted - Viv Nelles Essay Prize (2019), L.R Wilson Institute for Canadian History, “Commemoration and Reconciliation: The Mohawk Institute as a World Heritage Site” British Journal of Canadian Studies

News and Media (Select Appearances)