Privilege & Inspiration

Last week, we had the opportunity to meet Heather Muriwai at Whare Manaaki. Heather Muriwai is a passionate and visionary leader who has dedicated her life to serving her people.

One of the most memorable things that Heather said during our meeting was: “If your whānau is not engaging in your service, then there is something wrong with your service, not something wrong with the whānau!” She explained that many mainstream services fail to understand and respect the needs, values, and aspirations of whānau Māori. They often impose their own agendas and expectations on them, without listening to their voices or involving them in decision-making. This leads to poor outcomes and disengagement.

This session enforced our mahi of acknowledging the strengths and potential of whānau Māori, rather than focusing on their problems and deficits. We need to build trusting and collaborative relationships with them, rather than treating them as passive recipients of our services. We need to support them to identify their own goals and solutions, rather than telling them what to do or how to live their lives.