ABSTRACT
This directive asks educators to situate mino-pimatisiwin as a foundation of justice—so they may learn to honour the positionality of Indigenous students with disabilities. Through the sharing of Canada's colonial history and by critically examining the principles of service within special education, the author exposes its relationship with ableism, normalcy, eugenics, and white privilege as an imposed marginalisation of Indigenous peoples globally. This work encourages educators to shift their perspectives by viewing disability, self-determination, and belonging through an Indigenous lens. The chapter highlights Indigenous ethics and principles of natural law through the voices of Nehiyawak and other Indigenous knowledge keepers, while advancing the social model of disability and the psychology of Gentle Teaching as pillars within teacher education and human services. Together, Indigenous epistemologies and spatial justice merge as synergistic, inclusive, and holistic entities supporting Indigenous children, as they and those who teach them, learn to celebrate disabled ontologies together. Gentle Teaching and Indigenous ways of knowing are presented as platforms of tangible change in the creation of an equitable, caring, and inclusive society for all peoples.
