This book provides a comprehensive approach to the perspectives, lived experiences, and socio-cultural beliefs of Indigenous scholars regarding disabilities through a distinctions-based approach. Indigenous people demonstrate considerable knowledge in a multitude of compacities in spite of legal, monetary, social, economic, health, and political inequalities that they experience within from administrative authorities whether health, education or governments.
By include various knowledge systems related to: social-cultural, traditional governance, spirituality, educational, and self-representation within a communal understanding, the knowledge brought forth will be a combination of information from within/communal and outwards/infusion by Indigenous teachers, scholars, academics, and professionals who aim to combat the negative effects of disability labels and policies that have regulated Indigenous peoples.
Comprised of five sections:
• The power, wisdom, knowledge, and lived experiences of Elders
• Reframing the narrative – Navigating self- representation
• Learning from within – Including traditional knowledge
• Challenging colonial authority – Infusing regional ideals and concepts
• Interpretations, narratives, and lived experiences of grassroots teachers and social service providers
it will be an asset to those who seek out a deeper understanding of the complexity of Indigenous people and their knowledge who deal with predominantly non-Indigenous mindsets and barriers to education. Courses on disability studies, indigenous studies, social work, health, education and development studies will all benefit from this book.
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.
