Boozhoo! Jules nindizhinikaaz. 

Boozhoo is a greeting in Ojibwe. My name is Jules. 

I’m an Anishinaabe disability advocate. November was Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the history and cultures of Turtle Island Indigenous Peoples. The Ojibwe Nation uses the term Turtle Island to describe North America, which comes from a creation story. The Ojibwe Nation is divided by the Canadian and United States border. This is also a time to reflect on the impacts of colonization, which includes forced displacement and resulting enormous disparities in healthcare, economic status, and overall quality of life for Indigenous People. 

Since the arrival of settlers, Indigenous Peoples have been displaced from our homelands due to settler feelings of entitlement to land. Settlers used the term “Manifest Destiny” to describe this feeling of entitlement. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced many tribes to move westward, which includes the Trail of Tears. The Indian Appropriations Act led to the creation of Reservations, which restricted our movement unless an Indian Agent allowed us to leave the reservation. Settler borders have caused unspeakable harm to Indigenous people. 

Today, we are still facing settler attitudes of land entitlement. As we work to enforce treaties in the US and Canada, we are facing threats of mass deportation to Mexico and other Latin American countries. Prior to colonization, Indigenous Peoples had free movement throughout Turtle Island. Many of our Nations are migratory, moving with the seasons and changes of life, which sustains our safety, health, and economic growth. Native American heritage includes respect for all people, resilience in the face of oppression, and the connection of our people and land. 

Indigenous Autistic people struggle with lack of access to diagnoses, support services, and care work. Indigenous people have the highest rates of disability and the lowest healthcare spending per person. We have been invisibilized within the healthcare industry. Our lack of access is a direct result of being removed from our homelands. 

AWN recognizes the interconnectedness of past and present struggles for justice. We support the rights and dignity of all Indigenous People throughout Turtle Island. 

Will you please support the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network on Giving Tuesday, to allow us to continue our work in supporting autistic women and nonbinary people? Nonprofit organizations like ours that recognize intersectionality are facing threats of losing nonprofit status and funding.

Community support is essential to all that we do. Will you please contribute $100, $50, $20, or $5 today?