Ep 18: Colonial Disparities and Neurodiversity with Sandra Yellowhorse

Diné scholar Sandra Yellowhorse joins this episode and we begin
by discussing our experiences between the U.S. and Aotearoa/New
Zealand. We consider how the Covid-19 pandemic reveals ongoing
social and political issues, as well as how settler colonialism
impacts and amplifies disparities on the Navajo Nation. Sandra
also shares insights on some of her work to challenge the harmful
colonial, capitalist, and individualistic constructions of
‘disability.’ Critical and Indigenous perspectives instead offer
a more inclusive view of autism as neurodiversity, which moves
towards more holistic understandings of belonging and
contribution in community.


Topics: Colonialism, Political Economy, Ableism, Special
Education.


Terms: Diné (Diné bizaad/Navajo language word meaning “the
people”), settler-colonialism (imperially supported system of
domination that attempts to replace original inhabitants with an
occupying society of settlers), Navajo Nation (Indigenous
territory/sovereign nation that covers parts of Utah, Arizona,
and New Mexico in the U.S.), Capitalism (a profit-based economic
system premised on privatisation, where the means of production
are controlled by an elite minority), Neurodiversity (a
perspective that challenges deficit views of social, cognitive,
and behavioural differences).