Expanding the Circle: Aboriginal People with Disabilities Focus On Rights

Disabilities and the Seven Grandfathers By Joanne Dallaire "I am from the Cree Nation of Attawapiskat, Ontario. Truth... Practice self-examination around who you are and what you bring to the circle of life. What do you believe about your disability and what do you think others believe. Do these beliefs limit you? How do they? What can you do to make your life a more truthful experience? Always speak your truth. The truth has a ring to it; we know when we are being lied to. Honesty Be completely honest with yourself around anything to do with your disability, positive or negative. This is the learning ground for your relationship with self and others. If you must, lie to others, but never to yourself. Humility Some may think that having a disability would automatically make one humble, not true. Sometimes, people feel entitled to special considerations beyond those attached to your disability. Remember that everyone comes to the circle of life with things that make us different from others. Respect Respect the gift you were given, your life. Respect and honor what makes you different from everyone else. Learn what makes your disability a gift that brings you talents, special understandings, awareness that others don’t have. Respect the uniqueness of you. Love Love yourself first and all other love will be easier. Love the differences that are you. Learn to love your disability as being one of those things that make us special and different. Do kind and loving for you. Say kind and loving things to yourself. Embrace all that you are. Courage Develop the courage to accept the things you cannot change and the courage to change the things you can. Be courageous and go beyond your comfort level. Take risks, trying something new. Have the courage to be all that you are and more. Wisdom Wisdom is the result of learning from your life experiences in such a way as to improve the quality and content of your life. Wisdom is displayed when we share what we have learned and are willing to admit we don’t have all the answers. A wise person knows that we stand before others as student and teacher. #disability #expandingthecircle #Indigenous #community #sevengrandfatherteachings #drpisummit2017

A good article to read and understand how social isolation is killing us. And how community strengthens us. Stay well!

Happy Holidays. Stay warm and don't forget to check in on your loved ones!

In a circle we include the Anishaabe Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers which include wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, truth. We also include the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Principles which include health, dignity, authomy, participation, inclusion, accessibility, non-discrimination, equality, respect for difference. Quotations from the project include We are always thinking seven generations forward, what we do and say n...ow will affect those generations to come just as our ancestors remembered us as they made decisions seven generations in the past that affect us now. And Once you're chronic, a chronic patient, forget about it. Because you may as well just [go lay] in a nursing home some place because they just, they don't do, they don't listen to you once you're chronic Well they feel, yeah, you're not worth it at that point or you're, I don't know what they're thinking. And Most people I know look native. Some of my family members look more native so they’re not treated that way or they don’t have a disability so there’s that layer piece again." Visit the website to lodge a human rights complaint: http://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca-eng/co/complaint_assessment_tool; This project was supported by Disability Rights Promotion International and York University. It was funded the SSHRC Canada. For more information and a copy of our reports find us online at http://drpi.research.yorku.ca//expanding-the-circle-proje/

York Critical Disability Studies (CDS) Prof Rachel Gorman, Emily Hostland from the York Institute for Health Research, Laura Vulkson, Project Coordinator, Alexis Buettgen and Evelyn Kissi, PhD Candidates in CDS, Joana szeen, disabilities advocate, and Kiera Royle, U of W, are interviewed on CJAM radio on Expanding the Circle: Monitoring the Human Rights of Indigenous, First Nations, Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis People with Disabilities in Canada. Starts at the 70 second mark.