Bonita Lawrence

Bonita Lawrence is a retired Professor in York University's Department of Humanities and Indigenous Studies Program. A Mi'kmaw scholar with Acadian and English heritage, she earned her PhD from the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, an MES from York University, and a BSc from the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on urban Indigenous identities, non-status communities, Métis studies, and Indigenous justice systems.

Lawrence's work centers on federally unrecognized Aboriginal communities and the intersection of Indigenous identities with criminal justice systems. She has authored influential books including Fractured Homeland: Federal Recognition and Algonquin Identity in Ontario and 'Real' Indians and Others: Mixed-Blood Urban Native People and Indigenous Nationhood, employing community-engaged methodologies.

Her publications demonstrate consistent examination of identity politics through intersectional frameworks. Recent work addresses sex industry labor, gendered violence, and systemic discrimination, applying critical analysis to policy and community contexts.

Education:

• PhD - University of Toronto
• MES - York University
• BSc - University of Toronto