Krista Maxwell

Krista Maxwell is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto specializing in Medical Anthropology and Sociocultural Anthropology. Her work critically examines Indigenous healing practices, settler colonial governance, and child welfare systems in North America, alongside emerging research in Critical Autism Studies.

• Education: Ph.D. (University of Toronto, 2011)

Maxwell's research focuses on Indigenous sovereignty struggles, kinship law, and biopolitical resistance through projects like the SSHRC-funded Anishinaabe Kinship Law and the Canadian Child Welfare System. She collaborates with Wabaseemoong Independent Nations to analyze historical and contemporary child welfare dynamics.

Her publications include interdisciplinary work bridging Anthropology and History, with recent articles exploring reconciliation paradigms, urban Indigenous resistance, and settler humanitarianism. Current projects investigate autistic experiences in academia and decolonial healthcare models.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council Insight Grant (2017-25)
  • University of Toronto Connaught New Investigator Award (2014-16)
  • SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2011-13)

Maxwell supervises graduate students in topics spanning Indigenous sovereignty, medicalization, and decolonial research methods. She emphasizes ethical engagement with Indigenous communities and advocates for neurodivergent inclusion in academic environments.