1st Edition
Ngā Kūaha Voices and Visions in Māori Healing and Psychiatry
Ngā Kūaha: Voices and Visions in Māori Healing and Psychiatry explores what it means to hear voices and see visions from the perspectives of Māori healer Wiremu NiaNia and psychiatrist Allister Bush. Wiremu explains Ngā Kūaha as referring to doorways and offers entranceways into Māori knowledge about wairua (spirituality) handed down by his forebears and other Māori sources.
The authors provide historical examples of Western mystical experiences and contrasting Western psychiatric and psychological explanations of voices and visions as hallucinations. Further chapters focus on narratives and perspectives from people who have experienced voices and visions, and have had interactions with mental health services, told from multiple viewpoints; individual, whānau (family), Māori healing and psychiatry. The benefits of joint Māori healing and psychiatry approaches on wellbeing are examined. Drawing on their 18-year partnership Wiremu and Allister highlight the harmful colonial impact of psychiatry in suppressing Māori views of voices and visions. They describe ways of working together in clinical practice to address this history of injustice and how to identify whether distressing perceptual experiences may represent Māori cultural experiences, psychiatric or psychological symptoms or all of these.
This book advocates for practices that enable genuine partnerships between Māori healers, other wairua practitioners, and mental health clinicians in order to improve the mental health and spiritual care of Māori and perhaps other peoples.
1. Introduction
Wiremu NiaNia, Allister Bush, David Epston
2. Tirohanga
Wiremu NiaNia, Allister Bush
3. Ngā Tōpito o te Ao
Wiremu NiaNia, Allister Bush, David Epston
4. Voices and Visions in Psychiatry
Allister Bush, Wiremu NiaNia
5. Egan
Egan Bidois, Wiremu NiaNia, Allister Bush
6. Tohu
Wiremu NiaNia, Tohu, Tai Elkington, Peter Cowley, Allister Bush, David Epston
7. Grace
Wiremu NiaNia, Hazel, Allister Bush, David Epston
8. Jake
Wiremu NiaNia, Jake, Allister Bush, David Epston
9. Ngā Kūaha
Wiremu NiaNia, Allister Bush
10. Huakina
Allister Bush, Wiremu NiaNia, Caleb
Epilogue
Wiremu NiaNia, Allister Bush
Biography
Wiremu NiaNia, Tohunga, Turuki Health Care, Auckland, New Zealand.
Allister Bush, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Te Whare Mārie, Māori Mental Health Service and Pasifika CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental health Service), Te Whatu Ora, Porirua, New Zealand).
David Epston, Co-Originator of Narrative Therapy, Auckland, New Zealand.
"Ngā Kūaha is an essential read for those seeking to understand both Māori and Western knowledge within mental health. The authors have placed people at the forefront. Wiremu’s personal narratives open the kūaha (Doorway) to a profound exploration of mental health from his Māori perspective, while Allister and David articulate a wealth of experience from their western mental health stand points. This book offers a captivating journey, showing the beauty of mātauranga Māori alongside western psychiatric insights." -- Rikki Solomon, Tohunga, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Rangitāne o Tāmaki-nui-o-rua.
"With a moving narrative and insightful reflections, Ngā Kūaha provides an invaluable view into Te Ao Māori, Māori mental health, and wairua. Allister and Wiremu's collaboration offers a profound exploration into the experiences of Māori grappling with hallucinations and other mental phenomena, showcasing a partnership that illuminates their unique journeys and perspectives. This book confronts broader societal and historical factors influencing psychiatric practice, adding layers of depth that invites meaningful discourse. I wholeheartedly endorse and recommend Ngā Kūaha to anyone involved in psychiatry, mental health, and wellness. I also believe this text holds immense value for those seeking a broader comprehension of mental health and the holistic approaches deeply rooted in Te Ao Māori." -- Professor Joanne Baxter, Poutini Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Professor of Māori Health; Dean, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo, New Zealand
"In Ngā Kūaha, alongside Maori healing and psychiatry perspectives, the voices of those with their own experience of hearing voices and seeing visions come through clearly. As a voice hearer myself, the knowledge they share tells me that even in those dark and terrifying spaces, it is possible to find a way through. For me, the power of this book is the hope contained in their narratives and the opportunity to connect with mātauranga Māori." -- Jason Haitana, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maruwharanui, Te Ati Haunui a Pāpārangi, Principal Advisor, Lived Experience, Te Aka Whai Ora (Maori Health Authority).
"This book is such an important resource. It should be read by every clinician who works with Māori who experience voices and visions. It is written in down-to-earth language, with clear examples and explanations and I would recommend it to those of us who have these experiences as well. It helps to explain our relationship with Wairua in a very real way, reclaiming the spiritual landscape that was almost lost with colonization. I enjoyed the kōrero about prophets and saints of other cultures. It is time to de-medicalize spiritual experiences and learn to understand them instead." -- Adrienne Giacon- Chairperson Hearing Voices Network Aotearoa New Zealand - Te Reo OroOro
"I really, really love this beautiful book. The vivid case studies, and multi-perspective narratives offer nuanced perspectives that honour traditional wisdom, and champion a paradigm shift towards holistic, culturally-centred partnerships in mental health.
The text is a joy to read, with the authors’ wisdom, compassion, and mana evident throughout. Ngā Kūaha should become a core text in the training of all psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health workers in Aotearoa, and a book shelf staple for already qualified staff. I cannot recommend it enough." -- Professor Susanna Every-Palmer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo ki Poneke
