Reflections on how to be a good Treaty Partner in the NZ Healthcare system

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-09-02 00:01

New Zealand; Pacific

Image by Luis Melendez on UnSplash

Two Pākehā/Palangi women working in Māori and Pasifika Healthcare have drawn on their experiences to provide advice on how to combat institutional racism from a place of privilege. The viewpoint, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, calls on fellow Pākehā working in these spaces to think deeply about how their biases, privileges, and fears might be standing in the way of good outcomes for Māori and Pasifika patients. The authors highlight that being an ally is ultimately about disrupting the norm to support rangatiratanga so that Māori can make decisions for Māori and Pasifika can make decisions for Pasifika.

News release

From: Pasifika Medical Association Group

Pākehā/Palangi positionality: disentangling power and paralysis

This paper, written by two Pākehā/Palangi women working in Māori and Pasifika Health in Aotearoa, is a
perspective on how tangata Tiriti health professionals and researchers must do better in our approach to
improving health outcomes. Power is a key contributor to the perpetuation of colonisation and systemic
racism in our health system. Paralysis immobilises us due to racism, apathy, guilt and fear of doing wrong.
Positionality can move us out of paralysis by being conscious and open about our biases, perspectives,
values, privileges, beliefs, superiority and identities. We suggest four practical tools of engagement (Learn,
Reflect, Serve/Act, Disrupt) as approaches to dismantle power systems, overcome paralysis and recognise
positionality.

Journal/
conference: New Zealand Medical Journal

Organisation/s: University of Auckland

Funder: AC would like to acknowledge support provided by Lotteries Health Research Post-Doctoral Fellowship.

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