Summary

The presentation will contend that the importance of time, place and space to tangata whenua as indigenous social work practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand, is of value to the profession of social work as a whole.The difference in perceptions and as a consequence, perspectives is evident when the indigenous voice and practices that are professional in their own determination, may not align with the perceptions of the profession of social work. This is where the challenge of competing forces becomes apparent.The place of marae in the understanding of tangata whenua social work practitioners provides a place of belonging and by association obligation, which is supported by geographical markers that identify the boundaries to strengthen the sense of space and the ancestral narratives that transcend the passing of time. These points of identification enhance the understanding of who I am as a person and as a social work practitioner.The translation of these understandings and practices into the profession of social work are often met with divergence of perception and perspective in understanding and practice. Time, place and space become contextualized by intention and responsibility not obligation.The necessity to complete a risk assessment or to respond to the urgency of a referral bring into question the notion of being a ‘professional’ and the intention of a particular action. The substantiation of the action is primarily about ‘qualification’ not a sense of belonging, responsibility to the profession not an obligation to the people. The indigenous voice and practice can so easily become subsumed in the perceptions and perspectives that govern such considerations, which are almost dialectically opposed.It is contended navigation of place and space requires time but the connection and relationship that follows will be invaluable in progressing the profession of social work as agents of social change.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Indigenous voice; profession of social work; time, space and place, agents of social change. 

Summary

The presentation will explore the origins of Lore and Law in Aotearoa New Zealand, and how they emanate from two different perspectives: the tangata whenua (indigenous peoples) and those people who came afterwards, each bringing their perspectives that originate in a different understanding of the order of a given society and as a consequence, the different influence on the profession and Profession of Social Work.\ One of the Competence Standards of the profession of social work in Aotearoa New Zealand is:“9. Competence to practice within legal and ethical boundaries of the social work profession”.However, if there is a difference in perspective, the challenge is how to navigate the difference or advocate for one over the other according to applicability.\ If both ensure the safety of a service's recipients by maintaining the integrity of social work practice, then how is relevance determined?\ To a tangata whenua person the lore is embedded in tikanga (correct procedure) and consequently, indicative of the origins that have a whakapapa (lineage) starting from ancestral knowledge and practice, with the korowai (cloak) of atua (spiritual beings).\ \ The whakapapa (lineage) of law arises from the cases brought before the courts or in the regulations that govern a profession. The script is more about rights rather than obligations. People have a right to be protected but the obligation to the safety of a society may not be so evident. This is where the debate between individual rights and collective obligations becomes most apparent.\ For a tangata whenua social worker lore, in particular tikanga (correct procedure), are most influential in practice as a professional. However, for a social worker who is tangata whenua (indigenous), the Profession of Social Work becomes the determining factor.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

indigenous, social work, profession, lore, law

Summary

Cultural and sexual identities are complex processes of identity development for urban Indigenous youth who, as a consequence of colonial violence, historical and intergenerational traumas, have higher incidences of child sexual abuse, early pregnancies (Ball, 2009; Statistics Canada, 2006), sexually transmitted infections (First Nations Information Governance Centre, 2012), and suicide (Wilson, 2015) compared to their non-Indigenous peers. Drawing on a gendered-lens framework recognizing the interplay of indigeneity, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, geography, age and ability this study uses a Youth Participatory Action Research methodology to engage Indigenous youth across the gender-identity spectrum through storywork (Archibald, 2008; Archibald & Parent, 2019) to determine culturally relevant programming and services to support their sexual health, identity and sense of belonging. In the Grounding Phase of the research individual storytelling sessions with three Elders and five Indigenous service providers (Blackfoot, Metis, Cree) yielded seven key pathways forward including the need for service providers to recognize the impact of historical and ongoing colonial violence and genocide across mainstream systems, programs, and services on Indigenous youth who consequently need to see their culture and cultural identities represented in authentic ways in order to feel safe, develop trust, build relationships and engage in services.In the Gathering Phase, peer-interviews were conducted with 14 gender and sexual identity diverse Indigenous youthIn the Knowledge Creation Phase the research team and youth co-researchers highlighted the importance of the intersectionality of their identities, underscored the challenges they faced in accessing the medical system (stigma, bias, etc.,), suggested training needs for service providers and Elders and recommended the need for trauma-informed sexual health programming. In this presentation we share the findings of the research and invite you to consider how best to engage gender and sexually diverse Indigenous youth to develop culturally based programs aimed at responding to their sexual health needs

Keywords (separate with commas)

Indigenous youth; sexual health; youth participatory action

Summary

This paper suggests that elements of the African philosophy of Ubuntu are evident in cultural retentions in the African diaspora in the Caribbean. Narratives from interviews conducted with eighteen grassroots female leaders of voluntary community organizations were used to theorise an ethic of responsibility to help and support others as a morality that fits squarely within Ubuntu philosophy. Elements of the ethic of responsibility to help and support others included being a community person, having a sense of purpose, and helping others. These elements were then used to construct a reflective framework with key reflective questions for use by aspiring Ubuntu practitioners. The framework is particularly designed for macro and mezzo level Social Workers engaging in Community and policy practice or working in institutions, but it is also useful for practitioners practicing at the micro level.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Ubuntu, Ethic of Responsibility, Caribbean, reflective framework