I whakaputahia tēnei atikara e RNZ.
Two professional psychology organisations have apologised to Māori for the harm caused by racism within the discipline of psychology.
The joint apology from the New Zealand Psychological Society Rōpū Mātai Hinengaro o Aotearoa (NZPsS) and the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists (NZCCP) is for the structural racism and monoculturalism inherent within the discipline of psychology, which has its origins in 19th century Europe.
NZCCP president Clare Couch said that research over the past 40 years has found evidence of the negative effect of applying the assumptions and methodologies developed for a Western population to Māori, that this has often caused harm to Māori wishing to train as psychologists, to Māori who work as psychologists, and to Māori who wish to access psychological services.
“For this we are deeply sorry and apologise without reservation for the harms done to Māori by the discipline, as well as our failure to prevent these,” she said.
NZPsS president Iris Fontanilla said the apology followed those made to Indigenous peoples in other countries, including Australia, Canada and the US.
“We also recognise that many Māori within the profession here in Aotearoa New Zealand have worked tirelessly to bring change to the profession and to introduce models that fit with a te ao Māori worldview, and that they have faced and overcome significant challenges to do so, so we also apologise to them for being slow as a profession to act on this,” she said.
NZPsS Kaihautū Professor Waikaremoana Waitoki said that although Māori make up 17.5 percent of the population of Aotearoa, they make up only 6 percent of the psychological workforce. However, the need in the community exceeds the ability to provide psychological services.
“Māori also encounter systemic racism across all levels of psychology, which has been a significant driver of underrepresentation in numbers, training content, and choices to continue in psychology.
“An apology is a step towards recognising the impact of harm caused through deliberate policies and practices of excluding and controlling Māori knowledge and worldviews.”
She acknowledged the initiatives to increase the number of Māori psychologists and to increase kaupapa Māori psychology content.
“However, these initiatives rely on goodwill rather than systemic changes.”
Despite the dominance of Western psychology, Māori psychological knowledge has become more visible, and it is now possible to access mātauranga Māori across many areas of psychology, she said.
“The research has clearly identified entrenched barriers to training adequate numbers of Māori psychologists, including marginal efforts to honour te Tiriti o Waitangi or incorporate psychologies that reflect multiple worldviews. We want to see Māori psychology, Asian psychology, and Indian psychology.
“Western psychology is reproduced globally not because it is better, but because it travels with colonialism. This apology goes towards addressing racism in psychology, which other countries have also recognised as contributing to structural inequities.”
Fontanilla and Couch noted that what will make the apology meaningful to Māori consumers and colleagues will be the actions taken going forward.
“We arrive here with humility, aware of the work that has brought us to this moment, and of the work that must continue beyond it,” said Couch.
“We commit to making meaningful changes and hope this is the beginning of a journey of healing and true partnership,” added Fontanilla.
They said proposed changes would focus on honouring te Tiriti o Waitangi, increasing the number of Māori psychologists and challenging the marginalisation of mātauranga Māori.
The apology statement will undergo further development following consultation with Māori.
Nā Te Manu Korihi nō RNZ.
