Mark David Spence

About the Author

Mark David Spence is a distinguished historian and author specializing in the intersections of environmental history, Native American studies, and American expansionism. With a PhD from the University of California, Davis, he has dedicated his career to uncovering the often-overlooked stories of indigenous displacement and its lasting impact on the nation's landscapes. Spence's meticulous research draws on archival sources, oral histories, and interdisciplinary approaches to challenge conventional narratives of conservation and progress. His work illuminates how federal policies in the 19th and early 20th centuries reshaped the American West, forcing Native communities from their ancestral lands to create what we now celebrate as pristine wilderness. Through his scholarship, Spence advocates for a more inclusive understanding of environmental stewardship that honors indigenous perspectives and critiques the myths of untouched nature. A professor emeritus at Knox College, he continues to influence public discourse on land rights and historical memory.