Reframing disabilities

Abstract

The Canadian educational system has regulated Indigenous people, attempted to erase Indigenous pedagogies, and labeled many Native children in racist and derogatory ways. The colonial context of Canada has shaped professional worldviews and understandings of Indigenous people. This context influences how professionals assess the learning styles of Indigenous youth, and has left some contemporary Indigenous students categorized as learning disabled. What colonial systems refer to as disabilities can sometimes more accurately be viewed as different learning styles. School boards presume professional evaluations are valid and so act accordingly, yet these evaluations have never included how Indigenous people assess themselves. This chapter describes how Indigenous people with learning disabilities have been labeled and treated in Canadian educational systems, while also highlighting the resilience apparent in these individuals and Indigenous understandings of disabilities.