On June 4 th , 2025, I shadowed a Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery meeting/training session specifically geared toward activists living with disabilities, hosted by Savannah Sisk and Doe Hoyer. By shadowing, I mean full-on participating, as I’ve come to realize the Coalition’s meetings are highly interactive and there isn’t much room to be a spectator.
I had been tasked with an assignment to shadow the Coalition through our Global Studies: Indigenous Rights and Perspectives class, and this meeting caught my attention. We started off with introducing ourselves in a “popcorn style” around, stating our names, where we live, what traditional lands we were on, and how we were feeling that day. It seemed most attendees were feeling scattered and low on energy, myself included, and the dreary weather here didn’t help.
To give context, the purpose of this Zoom meeting was to provide space for activists living with disabilities, as they also have gifts to offer the movement for repair and for seeking justice alongside Indigenous relatives. Topics of discussion were centered around exploring those gifts, increasing accessibility within the group, and the broader movement as well. One of the initiated projects mentioned was collecting submissions from the Coalition for multi-sensory prayer resources. There are members of the Coalition who are bedbound and have asked for ways to connect with land that doesn’t require going outside, so their way of gifting to the greater good is by praying.
A thought exercise prompt from Savannah was, “What are some challenges and strengths to being a disabled activist?” She started out by explaining her own experience in public speaking and organizing but once she was affected by long-term Covid, her ability to focus was impacted by brain fog and energy loss. Others resonated with these barriers and added comments about intolerance for heat and chronic fatigue. We discussed the guilt of not being able to physically endure certain environments, but how it’s ultimately ableist to push that expectation on to activists with disabilities.
One way members of the group cope and empower themselves through these limitations is to educate others about ableism. I spoke to that sentiment, stating that while I may not be dis- or differently abled, I do deal with chronic auto-immune diseases and have been officially deemed by my insurance provider as being “medically frail.”
I have personally found myself explaining the concept of “spoons theory” to more able-bodied people: each day we wake up with so many “spoons” and everyday activities cost us these spoons, often “running out of spoons” before we get all the things we intended to do, done. Sometimes we may have a “good day” where we feel we have more spoons than usual, so we tend to overdo it and then have lesser spoons for the next day, essentially having “borrowed spoons from tomorrow” and then require rest.
I have found my “good days” are actually indicative of an oncoming manic episode, and although I may get many things checked off of my to-do list, I am bedridden the next day or two, left feeling useless and questioning why I can’t just break out of this cycle. I must remind myself that the keyword in my case is “chronic.” There is no breaking out of this cycle, there is only conscious effort in making healthy lifestyle choices to potentially slow its emanate progression.
To combat these undesirable feelings that are often accompanied by a sense of doom and hopelessness, various forms of art and self-expression have proven useful. Other group members agreed and chimed in about their art and how it has been so important in navigating disability. From folding origami crane chains to making picket signs, it’s another way to pray and protest the injustices of our
times.
Long term framing is important. We must pace ourselves to not become overwhelmed and burnt out and be aware of when we’re pushing ourselves beyond our capacity, which is a common occurrence within the Coalition and other activist movements. It requires a huge amount of passion, effort, and emotional labor to inspire change. Ultimately, self-care is of the utmost importance because if we’re incapacitated, it renders us incapable of progressive momentum. It was a lovely, encouraging meeting and I’m thankful to share space connecting with like-minded individuals with similar struggles and discussing how we each navigate our situations.
If you or a loved one are interested in connecting with like-minded people in similar regards, I encourage you to reach out to the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery with your interests.
You can also view thecalendar on the Coalition’s website and choose from a variety of meetings to join, accessibly hosted on Zoom for convenience.
Crystal Edson is a senior environmental & marine science major and sustainability minor, attending Goshen College with a passion for social and environmental justice. For comments or connection, please contact cmedson@goshen.edu.
