Page 4 - An Intersectional Exploration of Disabled and Native Identities

American Indian Studies

& Disability Studies:

Parallels & Connections

Schweik also writes,
Theorist Susan Schweik writes in her “Thinking about disability

article, “Disability and the Normal and citizenship in the
Body of the (Native) Citizen,” a context of native studies

focus on disability is particularly
useful for allowing us to explore our opens up basic questions

most basic definitional about the legitimacy and
assumptions—in this case, our authority of the nation-state.
definition of the “citizen” and our In turn, thinking about

foundational understanding of the native issues in the context
citizen’s body” (419). of disability studies allows

Disability is a tool to see outside of us to explore how colonial
dominant, Eurocentric paradigms, as ableism did violence to

Disabled people are excluded from native peoples” (420). There
and abused within the systems is such considerable overlap
currently in place; they are perfect in the way oppression

witnesses to the worst parts of the manifests for Disabled and
systems and institutions dominant in

society. Disability Studies, therefore, AI/AN people, and such
can help American Indian Studies by foundational parallels
providing a lens with which to locate between their unique

which aspects of AI/AN justice need struggles, that combining the
the most immediate attention. studies of disability and

American Indian issues is

American Indian Studies: more than worthwhile.