Brandon C. Joseph, ph.d.

Brandon is a self-proclaimed critical sport scholar and the lead writer and editor for Decolonize Sports. The project is inspired by Brandon’s dissertation, The Journey Towards Critical Self-Authorship for Native Lacrosse Athletes at NCAA Division I Institutions, which examined the intersections of Native identity, lacrosse, education, and settler colonialism. Looking to make his projects more accessible to Native communities and beyond, Dr. Joseph began developing ideas for sharing the true Native stories and histories in the sports world. Inspired by the story of The Creator’s Game, Decolonize Sports is a space to build multimedia projects and share our stories from a Native lens.

Originally from Fairbanks, Alaska, Dr. Joseph is Koyukon Athabascan on his father’s side (Clifford Joseph) and Muscogee Creek on his mother’s side (Georgianna Tiger). He earned his bachelor’s degree from Metro State University-Denver and his master’s degree from the University of Louisville, both in sport administration. He completed his Ph.D. in Counseling and Personnel Services with a concentration in College Student Personnel from the University of Louisville in December 2021. Dr. Joseph is currently the Director of Student Resilience in the Counseling, Health, and Wellness department at Western Washington University. And also serves as the Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee.

While at the University of Louisville, he spent six years working around the sports information and media relations department where he gained experience with writing game stories, conducting interviews, public address, play-by-play and more. These experiences greatly informs the content to be developed at Decolonize Sports.