Introduction
John T. Ward
Part I – The power, wisdom, knowledge, and lived experiences of Elders
Chapter One – The colonial education system – Teaching Indigenous children with learning differences
Elder Annie Smith St-Georges
Chapter Two – St. Anne's Indian Residential School – How labelling contributed to disabilities
Elder Peter Nakoochee
Chapter Three – Interpreting Disabilities from a Mohawk Perspective: Elder Guidance when navigating the dreamworld
Elder Tom Dearhouse
Chapter Four – Disability Interpretation from colonial insight to Indigenous spirituality: A Ihanktonwan Dakota and Chickasaw realization
Chief Phil Jane J
Chapter Five – An Eskimo’s lived experience of disabilities – Elder, advocate, leader, and dialogue builder
Elder Percy Ballot
Chapter Six – Perspectives of disability in the Yukpa Peoples of Venezuela and Colombia from an Indigenous psychological perspective
Elder Rodolfo Andres Jauregui Ojeda
Part II – Reframing the narrative – Navigating self- representation
Chapter Seven – To see or not to see: Am I blind or is that just another colonial label
Kevin Morgan
Chapter Eight – Reframing the narrative — navigating self-representation: Indigenous Deaf people
Melanie McKay-Cody
Chapter Nine – Neurodiversity from an Indigenous perspective: Honouring the Seven Grandfather Teachings
Lexi (Giizhigokwe) Nahwegiizhic
Chapter Ten – Navigating my Indigeneity through colonialism and how disabilities impacted my knowledge systems: A Muiscas and Teusacá experience
Angela Patricia Mora Rodriguez
Chapter Eleven – Navigating Disabilities from a Mauritius Perspective
Vijaye Lutchmee Davi Jaypal
Chapter Twelve – Reframing the narratives of Indigenous person with disabilities and creating inclusive spaces through advocacy
Pratima Gurung
Chapter Thirteen – Old meets new – Moving forward with the colonial mindset of disability – A Kabyle perspective
Boussad At Yaagun Djerbid
Part III – Learning from within – Including traditional knowledge
Chapter Fourteen – The importance of Indigenous sign languages on the cultural empowerment of Deaf Indigenous people
Rodney Adams and John Gilroy
Chapter Fifteen – Learning from traditional knowledge: Basotho Indigenous epistemology of disability
Maximus Monaheng Sefotho
Chapter Sixteen – Half Man of Spring Bayou: Understanding and living with mild Cerebral Palsy through traditional Indigenous knowledge
Jean-Luc Pierite
Chapter Seventeen – The strength, wisdom, and resilience of traditional knowledge as a cultural approach to modern day living in Northern Canada an Inuk perspective
Noah Papatsie
Chapter Eighteen – From linguistic disability to linguistic diversity case studies of Taiwanese Indigenous peoples
I-Yun Cheng
Chapter Nineteen – Mushi and Muhavu beliefs, understandings, teachings, and traditional knowledge of disabilities
Carine Sacerdoce Kananga
Chapter Twenty – Language structure or a language-based disability (dyslexia) – how natural learning contributed to being disabled
John T. Ward
Part IV - Challenging colonial authority – Infusing regional ideals and concepts
Chapter Twenty-one – Disability support for Indigenous people: The Sweetgrass Method
Mark Standing Eagle Baez and Thomas Dirth
Chapter Twenty-two – Indigenous Peoples with Disabilities in Taiwan: The Experiences of Paiwan People
Kui Kasirisir (Hsu, Chun-Tsai)
Chapter Twenty-three – Difference wisdom: Reimagining disability dialogue
Lavonna L. Lovern
Chapter Twenty-four – The birth and care of Määt Jääy in a context of structural violence, “disability” in a Mixe town in Oaxaca
Zoila Romualdo Pérez
Chapter Twenty-five – We belong to you, but you don’t represent us a Javanese (Indonesian) experience of disabilities
Umar
Chapter Twenty-six – Understanding Indigenous disabilities: A cultural perspective of Indigenous Pashtun community
Zafar Khan
Chapter Twenty-seven – Intersectionalities of Indigenous Disabilities: Breaking down colonial barriers
John T. Ward
Part V - Interpretations, narratives, and lived experiences of grassroots teachers and social service providers
Chapter Twenty-eight – Disabilities in Uganda: Understanding community challenges and barriers
Twinerugaba Barlton
Chapter Twenty-nine – Disabilities in Malawi: A cultural and social perspective as influenced by colonialism
Kennedy Mapira
Chapter Thirty – Society’s manner towards disabilities: A perspective from India
Manisekhar Palle
Chapter Thirty-one – Taking Care of Disability People in Kenya
Duke Makori Mogusu
Chapter Thirty-two – Conditions of disabilities in Uganda
Muganga Edison Twinemuhwezi
Chapter Thirty-three – Weaving a Human-Centric tapestry: A Rwandan perspective
Diane Umuhoza Rudakenga
Conclusion
Biography
John T. Ward is a Métis and Non-Status Indian from the Algonquin territory of Kitchisibi. His specialization is Indigenous wholistic knowledge, ethics, disabilities, learning disabilities, and dyslexia among Indigenous people in Canada. He also works as a special advisor in disability and Indigenous knowledge in the Government of Canada.
