09/30/2026
Today, the Good Foot office team came together to watch The Gift of Being Different, a short documentary following Grant Bruno.
Dr. Grant Bruno, who is nĂŞhiyaw (Plains Cree), is a parent to Autistic children, a registered member of nipsihkipahk (Samson Cree Nation) in Maskwacis, Alberta, a proud First Nations scholar, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta.
In nĂŞhiyaw understandings of health, autism is understood as a gift: a different way of seeing and moving through the world. At Good Foot, we believe that neurodiversity - including autism and other types of neurodivergence - deserves to be understood, respected, and celebrated. Seeing this belief reflected in Cree teachings reminds us how much we can learn from Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
The film also reminds us that Indigenous families navigating autism and disability often face significant barriers to support, barriers rooted in the same colonial systems that the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation asks us to reckon with. We know that work extends far beyond a single day. Reconciliation means listening, learning, and making room for Indigenous voices, including those of Indigenous disabled and neurodivergent people.
We stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities, and encourage you to watch Dr. Brunoâs film and share it with someone in your life. Itâs available to view at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw_aleWg5Ac
