INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP: REIMAGINING HEALTH EDUCATION FOR AND WITH INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES.
O. Sanerivi1, K. Pōtiki Bryant1, J. Barudin2, M.N. Ntinga3
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
1University of Otago, School of Physiotherapy, Dunedin, New Zealand, 2Concordia University, Vancouver Island, Canada, 3University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Learning objective 1:
- Participants will be able to identify and describe the power struggles brought on by colonialism and the imposition of European knowledge systems in mainstream Physiotherapy education.
Learning objective 2: 2. Participants will be able to critically reflect on Indigenous stories and experiences of being the ‘other’.
Learning objective 3: 3. Participants will be able to reimagine an inclusive local, regional and global Physiotherapy identity which promotes Indigenous peoples’ health and wellbeing.
Description: The teaching and practise of Physiotherapy globally has undoubtedly been shaped by the European colonial context in which the profession was birthed and legitimised (Nicholls, 2017). This imperial, eurocentric and biomedical genesis paved the way for the world-wide instructing of a profession that would assert European ideals and imperatives as the standard whilst marginalising therapeutic perspectives, practices and philosophies of Indigenous populations (Nicholls, 2017, Page 20-21; (Cobbing, 2021). This omission of Indigenous understandings has severely restricted the professions’ ability to adequately respond to the inequitable health outcomes impacting Indigenous communities world-wide (Moffat, 2012).
World Physiotherapy has a clear position on the ethical obligation to foster environments, policies and practices that include and uphold the rights of those of diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to, Indigenous peoples. The position statement on Diversity and Inclusion recommends that international member organisations: “encourage ongoing reflection about the assumptions and norms within the physical therapy profession, including considering ways in which the profession (intentionally or unintentionally) may discriminate against, marginalise and/or exclude certain people or groups of people” (Physiotherapy, 2019a). World Physiotherapy also asserts that Physiotherapy education programmes should prepare “the graduate for working ethically and inclusively with all peoples by developing and strengthening ethical and cultural competence and embracing diversity.”(Physiotherapy, 2019b).
Despite World Physiotherapy’s position statements on Inclusion, Diversity and Education, there remains a persisting lack of ethnic and cultural diversity in the educational content, the languages utilised (Cleaver, 2021) and the modes of delivery of Physiotherapy educational programmes. This is compounded by the scarcity of Indigenous academics and leaders in positions of influence in the Physiotherapy profession, the ongoing oppression imposed by inherent racist academic policies and the prevailing resistant attitudes towards meaningful change. This oppression positioning as “the other” is experienced consistently by the current few Indigenous academics who have boldly reimagined a different future for the profession in their local contexts.
This focussed symposium invites the unsung voices of Indigenous Physiotherapy academics and leaders who descend from the 'Namgis First Nation (Canada), the Zulu and Tsonga tribes (South Africa), the Māori tribes (Aotearoa/New Zealand) and Samoan and Tongan islanders (Pacific) to present their experiences as Indigenous Physiotherapy leaders and the innovative and authentically Indigenous ways they’ve taught and supported Indigenous and non-Indigenous Physiotherapists and other Allied Health professionals. This symposium invites conference participants to hear their unique stories and to reflect on our collaborative work in reimagining a future profession that promotes Indigenous leadership and catalyses equitable health care for Indigenous peoples across the world.
World Physiotherapy has a clear position on the ethical obligation to foster environments, policies and practices that include and uphold the rights of those of diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to, Indigenous peoples. The position statement on Diversity and Inclusion recommends that international member organisations: “encourage ongoing reflection about the assumptions and norms within the physical therapy profession, including considering ways in which the profession (intentionally or unintentionally) may discriminate against, marginalise and/or exclude certain people or groups of people” (Physiotherapy, 2019a). World Physiotherapy also asserts that Physiotherapy education programmes should prepare “the graduate for working ethically and inclusively with all peoples by developing and strengthening ethical and cultural competence and embracing diversity.”(Physiotherapy, 2019b).
Despite World Physiotherapy’s position statements on Inclusion, Diversity and Education, there remains a persisting lack of ethnic and cultural diversity in the educational content, the languages utilised (Cleaver, 2021) and the modes of delivery of Physiotherapy educational programmes. This is compounded by the scarcity of Indigenous academics and leaders in positions of influence in the Physiotherapy profession, the ongoing oppression imposed by inherent racist academic policies and the prevailing resistant attitudes towards meaningful change. This oppression positioning as “the other” is experienced consistently by the current few Indigenous academics who have boldly reimagined a different future for the profession in their local contexts.
This focussed symposium invites the unsung voices of Indigenous Physiotherapy academics and leaders who descend from the 'Namgis First Nation (Canada), the Zulu and Tsonga tribes (South Africa), the Māori tribes (Aotearoa/New Zealand) and Samoan and Tongan islanders (Pacific) to present their experiences as Indigenous Physiotherapy leaders and the innovative and authentically Indigenous ways they’ve taught and supported Indigenous and non-Indigenous Physiotherapists and other Allied Health professionals. This symposium invites conference participants to hear their unique stories and to reflect on our collaborative work in reimagining a future profession that promotes Indigenous leadership and catalyses equitable health care for Indigenous peoples across the world.
References:
- Cleaver, S. G., Natasha Odessa; Balit, Jude; Gautier, Lara; Lubin-Jerome, Linda. (2021). Langauge hegemony in decolonising global health conferences. Prepublished article. Retrieved from https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9615-0665
- Cobbing, S. (2021). Decoloniality in physiotherapy education, research and practice in South Africa. The South African journal of physiotherapy, 77(1), 1556-1556. doi:10.4102/sajp.v77i1.1556
- Moffat, M. (2012). A history of physical therapist education around the world. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 26(1), 13-23.
- Nicholls, D. (2017). The End of Physiotherapy. doi:10.4324/9781315561868
- World Physiotherapy. (2019a). Policy Statement: Diversity and Inclusion. In.
- World Physiotherapy. (2019b). Policy Statement: Education. In.
Funding acknowledgements: Lilo Oka Sanerivi’s doctoral research is funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand and partly supported by the Paediatric Special Interest Group of Physiotherapy New Zealand.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
