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Te Manu Kai i Te Mātauranga – Book Review

Te Manu Kai i Te Mātauranga: Indigenous Psychology in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Edited by Waikaremoana Waitoki (Ngāti Māhanga, Ngāti Hako) and Michelle Levy (Ngāti Mahuta). (2016). New Zealand Psychological Society.

This unique and inspiring book brings together the insights of 18 Māori psychologists and how their cultural worldviews, whakapapa and experiences as Māori benefit whānau Māori therapeutic relationships.

The rich dialogue revolves around the central story of Ripeka, a wahine Māori and her whānau. Ripeka represents the lived experience of many whānau Māori that each of the 18 psychologists have worked alongside in their practice, as well as in their personal lives. As quoted within the introduction of the book “Ripeka’s story is our story – she is why many of us work as psychologists".

Each Māori psychologist also provides their own reflections on the relevance of Māori thinking and understanding to the application of contemporary psychology. The book weaves the realities of whānau Māori clients and the voice of Māori psychologists together to highlight the need for indigenous thinking, and to celebrate the diversity indigenous knowledge brings to psychology.

Overall, Te Manu Kai i Te Mātauranga: Indigenous Psychology in Aotearoa/New Zealand, is an incredibly rich and thought-provoking read. Both Māori and non-Māori will benefit from reading the book to gain insights into Māori worldviews, confirm the legitimacy of indigenous approaches and to take a journey through the deconstructing of dominate discourses that impact on indigenous psychologists and the whānau they work with.

Reviewed by Zoe Hawke, (Ngāti Hako, me Ngāti Pāoa), Community Engagement & Health Promotion Manager, Mental Health Foundation.

Monday

MONDAY

Start the week off with an act of kindness. On the first day of MHAW, take some time out of your day to help someone in a small but meaningful way. Even one simple thing, like carrying groceries or holding a door open for a stranger, can create a chain reaction of kindness that uplifts the whole community.

Ideas for how you can help someone today:

Tuesday

TUESDAY

It’s no secret that the pandemic, rising costs and extreme weather events have made things tough for our local businesses and organisations over the past few years. Today, we encourage you to tautoko/support an independent merchant or community organisation. Why not purchase a small gift for a friend from a local creator, or post about an awesome business or community group on social media? A little tautoko can go a long way in difficult times.

To support a small neighbourhood business or community organisation today, you could:

Wednesday

WEDNESDAY

We’ve made it to the middle of the week!

Feeling connected to others is strongly associated with better wellbeing, because it gives us a sense of meaning, safety, support and purpose. Give yourself — and your loved ones — a mid-week boost, by reaching out to a friend or whānau member you would like to catch up with.

You could connect with the important people in your life today, by:

Thursday

THURSDAY

As we move closer to the weekend, find some time in your day to connect with someone in your community that you don’t usually talk to. Introduce yourself to a neighbour, a parent at your child’s school, or someone at your local café . Building relationships with people who live in your community can create a supportive network, right at your doorstep. 

To get to know someone new in your community today, you could:

Friday

FRIDAY

What better way to finish off the week, than by saying thank you to someone in your community? Spread some good vibes by showing your gratitude today  it could be to the courier driver, to a local volunteer, or to a workmate or neighbour…anyone who helps make your community what it is. 

You could express gratitude to those in your community today, by: