Treating with te Tiriti in mind
Māori experience inequities in health which can be exacerbated when poor past experiences contribute to a lack of trust in the health system and reluctance to access health services. It's important therefore to consider how health services can be provided effectively for Māori patients.
Research by Huhana Whautere (Ngāpuhi), a lecturer and fieldwork associate in Occupational Therapy, investigated how kaiwhakaora ngangahau (occupational therapists) are working with Māori people post-injury. She interviewed five occupational therapists who worked in a private health and rehabilitation service provider, to find out how the culture of the client informed their professional practice. Interview data were thematically analysed, revealing three themes: rapport building, therapist experience, and reducing barriers.
These occupational therapists are actively adapting their practice when working with Māori clients, using Māori values of manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, wairuatanga, whanaungatanga, kotahitanga and rangatiratanga. Huhana recommends that:
- Other occupational therapists can incorporate these values into their practice when working with Māori;
- Bicultural practice should be embedded in occupational therapy education, from orientation to graduation, including fieldwork opportunities to work with Māori;
- The structure and funding models for private occupational therapy service provision should be reviewed to allow for a more culturally responsive approach; and
- Recruitment and retention of Māori occupational therapists should be a priority, to better reflect the population being served.
Collectively these changes will help ensure Māori clients are able to access culturally appropriate occupational therapy services.
- Contact Huhana Whautere
- Find more Occupational Therapy research
- Browse more Māori & Indigeneity research
E whakapāngia tūkinotia ana a ngāi Māori i te ao hauora. E whakaranea ana ēnei nā ngā mātau ā-wheako o mua, nō reira, kāore i te whakawhirinaki i te pūnaha hauora, kāore i te hiahia ki te haere ki ēnei ratonga. He whaiwhakaaro whakahirahira me pēhea e whakarato hauora tika ai i ngā tūroro Māori.
I aro atu te rangahau a Huhana Whautere (Ngāpuhi), he pūkenga, he kaimahi tūwaenga ki Occupational Therapy, ka pēhea ngā kaiwhakaora ngangahau e mahi ana ki ngāi Māori whai muri i te wharatanga. E rima ngā kaiwhakaora ngangahau i uiuitia ai e ia, nāna i mahi i ngā whakaratonga hauora, whakamātūtūnga hoki, tūmataiti, kia kite ka pēhea te ahurea o te kiritaki i whakapā ai i te mahi ā-rehe ngaio. I tātari ā-kaupapa te raraunga uiui, ā, e toru ngā kaupapa e puta: te whakawhanaungatanga, te wheako kaiwhakaora, te whakamauru aukati hoki.
E urutau haere ēnei kaiwhakaora ngangahau i ā rātou mahi ā-rehe ki ngā kiritaki Māori, ka uru i ngā whanonga pono Māori, ko te manaakitanga, te kaitiakitanga, te wairuatanga, te whanaungatanga, te kotahitanga me te rangatiratanga. E whaikupu ana a Huhana:
- Kia whakauru ētahi atu kaiwhakaora ngangahau i ēnei whanonga pono ki ā rātou mahi ā-rehe i a rātou e whakaora ana i ngāi Māori;
- Me whakapūmau i te mahi ā-rehe kākanorua i ngā akoranga whakaora ngangahau, mai i te ahunga ki te whiwhi tohu, me whakauru hoki i ētahi mahi tūwaenga ki ngāi Māori;
- Me arotake i ngā pou tarāwaho anga, tuku pūtea hoki mō ngā whakaratonga whakaora ngangahau kia whakaputa i tētahi tukanga tika ā-ahurea; ā
- Me mātua kimi, pupuru hoki i ngā kaiwhakaora ngangahau Māori, kia whakaata i te taupori.
Mā ēnei mahi katoa ngā kiritaki Māori e ahei i ngā whakaratonga whakaora ngangahau tika ā-ahurea.