A Call to Wellness – Whitiwhitia i te ora: Exploring Māori and Occupational Therapy Perspectives on Health

Abstract

Attention to culture is vital for appropriate, safe, and responsive practice. The conceptual framework provides a tool to inform, guide, and evaluate practice understandings. It acknowledges the importance of the individual within their extended family, their natural environment, and the historical, social, and political realities of living as Māori. Further research should explore the use of the framework and interaction between occupational therapy practice and specific indigenous cultures.

Acknowledging and Promoting Indigenous Knowledges, Paradigms, and Practices Within Health Literacy-Related Policy and Practice Documents Across Australia, Canada, and New Zealand

“…Taking such understandings into account will likely enhance both provider and consumer HL skills (Ingleby, 2012) and contribute to developing culturally safe spaces as relationships and health communications are improved. For example, adopting the concepts of holistic health that are a key element of HL therefore supports the process of establishing culturally safe healthcare environments for Indigenous Peoples, an issue that has also been frequently raised (Colles et al, 2014;Dudgeon et al, 2014;Durey & Thompson, 2012;Hopkirk & Wilson, 2014;Vukic et al, 2011).…”

“…Health and wellbeing incorporates physical, psychological, social, ecological, spiritual, and cultural aspects and is sustained by nurturing and attending to all these relational aspects regularly in an appropriate and meaningful manner (Campbell, 2002;Durie, 1994;Morgan et al, 1997;Vukic, Gregory, Martin-Misener & Etowa, 2011;Wilson, 2008). Individual studies within all three countries similarly highlight how positive strengthening and maintaining of those interrelated aspects can provide preventative and long-lasting health benefits (Colles, Maypilama & Brimblecombe, 2014;Dockery, 2010;Hopkirk & Wilson, 2014;Lambert et al, 2014;Lowell, Kildea, Liddle, Cox & Paterson, 2015;Smylie et al, 2008;Wilson, 2008).…”

“…Such challenges can significantly obstruct access to and provision of effective primary healthcare services, inevitably influencing health outcomes (Lambert et al, 2014). The need for healthcare systems to adequately acknowledge and incorporate Indigenous health knowledges within health promotion practices has also been identified (Hopkirk & Wilson, 2014;Liaw et al, 2011;Lowell et al, 2015;Nielsen et al, 2014;Priest, MacKean, Davis, Briggs & Waters, 2012;Rowan et al, 2013;Vass et al, 2011).…”

“…Incorporating and promoting Indigenous knowledges within an Indigenous healthcare environment has the potential to strengthen culturally safe practices and opportunities for self-determination, enhance health communication, and to foster relationships that are built on trust and mutual respect (Colles et al, 2014;Dockery, 2010, Hopkirk & Wilson, 2014Lambert et al, 2014, Lowell et al, 2015. However, the majority of current conceptualisations of HL are commonly confined to Western pedagogies and paradigms.…”

Rehabilitating Healthcare: Healthcare landscapes a catalyst for health, well-being and social equity

“…"The longstanding connection with the land through forests, wetlands, rivers, coastal areas and mountains provides the indigenous cultures a sense of identity, belonging and well-being" (Hatton et al, 2017, p. 2). Traditional therapists therefore make connections with the environment to empower and enable people with impaired spiritual well-being (Hopkirk and Wilson, 2014). For example, Māori therapy relies on the landscape for the preparation of herbal remedies, rongoā, therapeutic massages, haumiri, and spiritual massages, honohono (Tui Ora, 2017).…”