ABSTRACT
Reconsidering the concept of rehabilitation has unique significance for indigenous peoples. Indigenous concepts of recovery and the restoration of balance have developed separately to those of the Western scientific tradition, so considering rehabilitation via an indigenous lens alongside considering what might constitute indigenous approaches can illuminate what this might mean in practice-its strengths and weaknesses. Overall, indigenous concepts privilege unique, culturally determined aspects that can enhance outcomes for the indigenous peoples’ healing and well-being. The need for a distinct indigenous critique of the term rehabilitation is also important for a number of other reasons. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples emphasizes the importance of indigenous peoples’ rights to access their own knowledge systems (United Nations 2008) in the context of illness or injury. In addition, disparities are well documented for indigenous peoples in the prevalence of injury and illness associated with rehabilitation services and responses by these services (Harwood 2010; New Zealand Guidelines Group 2006; OakleyBrown et al. 2006). Attempting to meet what might constitute the rehabilitation needs of indigenous peoples is the responsibility of practitioners from all cultural backgrounds. There are two key reasons for this. First, the indigenous workforce is not sufficient to meet
Introduction ......................................................................227 International Indigenous Literature ...............................228 Māori Literature ............................................................... 231 What Might Rehabilitation Mean for Māori? ............... 233 Māori Research That Illuminates Concepts Related to Rehabilitation ............................................................... 237 Te Waka Oranga................................................................238 Conclusions .......................................................................241 Glossary .............................................................................241 References ..........................................................................242Hinemoa Elder
these needs, and second, all practitioners have a duty of care, and in some countries a statutory requirement (New Zealand Health Practitioner Competence Assurance Act 2003), to be culturally competent to work with indigenous peoples.
