Sarah Carter

Inaugural Winner of the François-Xavier Garneau Prize

The François-Xavier Garneau Prize is awarded to an individual who has made “a sustained and exceptional contribution to the discipline of history.” Beginning in 2025, it will be awarded every two years.

The selection committee is delighted to announce the inaugural winner of the Garneau Prize: Prof. Sarah Carter of the University of Alberta. A member of the Royal Society of Canada and recipient of the Killam Prize in the Humanities, Prof. Carter was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2023.

Prof. Carter has had a distinguished career as a professor of history, mentor, collaborator, and academic leader. She has made multiple contributions to the discipline of history in Canada and abroad. She obtained her PhD at the University of Manitoba and later taught at the University of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Calgary. Prior to her recent retirement, Prof. Carter was Professor of History and Henry Marshall Tory Chair in the Department of History at the University of Alberta. Author of numerous innovative books that have been widely read in seminars, classrooms and by the general public, Prof. Carter has also served as an advisor and model to many students, colleagues, and public intellectuals. Her ground-breaking and prize-winning publications have re-imagined Prairie history through integrating Indigenous and women’s history perspectives.

Prof. Carter has collaborated with scholars and individuals within and beyond the academy, most notably Indigenous communities. Dr. Carter has also been a public historian, serving as an expert witness in First Nations claims and contributing editorials to newspapers. Her knowledge of archival materials is unparalleled. She has worked with colleagues in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. Her work is both grounded in place and never parochial. She has confirmed the international importance of regional Canadian subjects. The Garneau Prize selection committee is delighted to confer this honour on Prof. Sarah Carter for her varied, sustained, and distinguished contributions.

The selection committee for 2025 comprised Professors Dominique Marshall, Adele Perry, and Gary Waite.