MĀ TE ARA WAIRUA, KA KITE HE ORANGA: A Kaupapa Māori study into the development of traditional healing knowledge and spiritual concepts in social work

Abstract

This thesis explores the development of traditional Māori healing knowledge and spiritual concepts in social work from the perspective of sixteen individuals. The current knowledge base predominantly views social work from a Western lens which begs the question: “What is the role of traditional Māori healing knowledge in social work?” The present research study is an attempt to address this question by investigating the experiences of Māori healers and social workers using Pūrākau (storytelling) methodology which are then examined using the Ara Wairua (spiritual pathway) data analysis tool. Face-to-face interviews revealed six key themes during the rigorous four stage data analysis. The themes presented in this thesis provide culturally nuanced understandings and insights into traditional Māori healing concepts, relational principles for Kaupapa Māori praxis from theory to intervention, transference of knowledge for non-Indigenous workers, spiritual responsiveness, and the importance of Indigenist social work. As each of the six themes organically emerged, the study yielded twelve key research results. These specific findings establish healing as being the practice of unconditional Aroha (love) and intuition, an emphasis on enhancing Māori epistemology in social work policy and theory, and the protection of Mana Motuhake (vested power). This thesis argues that social work must develop a broader understanding of knowledge embedded within Whakapapa (ancestral lines) and how to interpret spiritual experiences which are equally as important in their structure and content. This research identifies the challenges in relation to understanding these concepts alongside several key recommendations for the social work profession.