In this pioneering book, Bonita Lawrence draws on the first-person accounts of thirty Toronto residents of Aboriginal descent, as well as archival materials, sociological research, and her own urban Native heritage and experiences to shed light on the Canadian government’s efforts to define Native identity through the years. She describes the devastating loss of community that has resulted and how urban Native people have wrestled with their past and current identities. Lawrence also explores the forms of nation-building that can reconcile the differences in experiences and distinct agendas of urban and reserve-based Native communities.