What is Kaitiakitanga Bicultural Professional Supervision?

Bicultural professional supervision is the space in-between Kaupapa Māori supervision and Professional Supervision. Originally spearheaded from experiences of graduates of the Bicultural Social work degree who found the supervision space culturally unsafe.  Kaitiakitanga Bicultural Professional Supervision was created.  This unique responsive action has potential and promise for Māori and Pākehā to engage in honest dialogue across and between disciplines.  As Jacqueline Elkington’s words 2014) argue, “when we can speak strongly from our own cultural identities with the integrity to work with right actions, truthful words and with compassion for all of us. Only then, can we have a good chance of making transformative action and change for all of Aotearoa New Zealand.  Kaitiakitanga Bicultural Professional Supervision was the response.

As a graduate of this programme my role is to facilitate a professional space that embraces advocacy, clinical and cultural supervision, mentorship, and peer review.  Within the worldview of Māori my responsibilities are to hold space for Māori professionals who require professional supervision.  The outcomes are to provide a space to reflect on practice and develop resilience for Māori professionals in practice.

I leave you with this thought,

Kaitiakitanga embraces biculturalism in the supervisory space, the question remains, is there space for Kaitiakitanga in Professional Supervision?  What contribution would our Treaty partner, Pākehā offer to this space? 

Who are these services for?

My services are primarily aimed at Māori health professionals, new graduate Māori midwives, BIPOC peoples and in particular, birth work. My experience is grounded in midwifery and academia. 

My role as Kaiārahi

Kaitiakitanga is a reciprocal relationship.  The Kaitiaki (the professional I work with) and the Kaiārahi (the professional I am).  It is a space of wānanga where we walk together in ako (we are both teacher and student to each other). My role is not to give you answers but to help you find the deep questions. I am kaiārahi and help you to strengthen a professional pathway that is specific to you. Kaitiaki lead it and I walk beside you, challenging you, helping you navigate your pathway forward.  What you bring to our sessions is what we work with.

How I work

I work within the space of Ao Māori. All sessions are done within a wānanga space. The methods of practice I use embrace opening and closing karakia, pūrākau and multimedia and creative arts to aid communication.

Before each session, a creative homework assignment will be sent.  This is used to help prepare you for our sessions.  Each session is usually an hour in duration.

My preference is to meet in person, the other alternative will be Zoom facilitation.  

Interested in Kaitiakitanga Services?