Penny Horsfall 200175688

WHAPS701

Assignment 1 Awhiowhio

Te Titohu Arahina Te Hunga Tangata Graduate Diploma in

Professional Supervision Bi-culturalism in Practice
Student Name:

Penny Horsfall

Student ID:

200175688

Assessment Title:

Awhiowhio Practicum1 Assignment 1

Assessment Code:

WHAPS 701

Kaiako:

Hine Moeke - Murray & Tania-Rose Tutaki

Due Date:

01 April 2016

Date Submitted:

08 April 2016

Word Count:

3491 words

Students please read and sign:

Plagiarism is the use of others work that is submitted as your own. This will
lead to disciplinary action as outlined in Te Wnanga o Aotearoa Tikanga
Ako.
I declare that the attached assignment is my original work and I have made a
copy for my own records.

Signature Penny Horsfall

Date _8 April 2016______________

Received by the Kaiako

Signature_________________________________ Date_______________________

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Table of Contents
Cover page .. Page 1

Table of Contents ... Page 2

Introduction Page 3

Ko wai au Page 4

Spiritual Influences Page 5

My Whanau Page 6

My Supervision History Page 7

Conclusion .. Page 8

Works Cited ... Page 9

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Introduction

The notion Ko wai au? This to me is open ended there is no defining end but
an ever evolving one. My view now will no doubt change by the time I
complete this journey. For the purposes of completing this assessment on ko
wai au and utilising Te Papa Tauira framework I will discuss my lived
experiences in relation to the principles in which I was raised. I will then
identify and reflect on the bodies of knowledge in which these principles have
been passed on making reference to Maori and non-maori literature. It is
important to provide an understanding in how these principles may influence
my practice and matauranga as a supervisor and my own reception of
supervision.

Ko wai au?

Ko wai au? He wahine, He tuahine, He mama, He kuia

He kotiro o te atua au, ae hei aha
Ko wai au?

I feel privileged with the whakapapa I have been born into and have an array
of iwi consisting of Te Whanau a Kai, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngati Ruapani,
Rongowhakaata and Ngati Porou all within the Tairawhiti and East Coast
region. In addition to this I have links into Kahunungu (Wairoa) and Ngati
Toa (Wellington). In addition to this I would like to acknowledge my nonMaori heritage which includes Scottish, English, American, Irish and Romney.
My tipuna have provided an abundance of Takepu and sign posts in which I
am truly grateful realising why they did what they did' to get to 'where I am
now this for me is humbling.

My paternal grandmother was the granddaughter of Wi Pere a chief in his own

right. He was taught the traditional practices in Te Whare Wananga and was
well known for his oratory proficiency. Wi Pere was elected to parliament as
the representative for the Eastern Maori district in 1884 he also sat on the
Legislative Council until being forced off. Wi Pere lived during the 'transition
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period of the Maori'. He was an eye witness to the most turbulent incidents of
Maori-Pakeha relationships. He had witnessed some of the worst land
legislation affecting the Maoris which included the land wars, the confiscation
of Maori land by successive Governments, the rise of Maori Nationalism, Te
Kooti conflicts, the 1867 Maori Representation Act, also the breakdown of
traditional Maori institutions and customs by the Pakeha in their efforts to
assimilate the Maori into the wider context of British type Society (wi-perethe-man.aspx). He established the Wi Pere Trust in 1899 in order to
consolidate and ensure these lands remained within the trust for his children,
mokopuna and the generations to come. For a lecture given by Dr Mason
Durie: The capacity to plan ahead, whakatakato tikanga, requires a capacity
to anticipate the needs of future generations and to manage whnau resources
(human and physical) so that those needs may be met (M. Durie, Measuring
Maori wellbeing, August 1, 2006).
My parents were raised in large families in rural communities and sharing
was caring to all who needed it. They both took an active role in the whanau
functioning ensuring that the needs of the whanau were paramount to support
their families through the depression post the Second World War. They shared
their Ahurutanga with many and a statement my father made was when he
came home at night he didnt know where he would sleep. This was
insightful for him and he made a conscious decision that this would not be a
reality for his children a view my mother shared also.

Like Wi Pere, and throughout my whakapapa my tipuna laid principles of

creating their own world through self-employment and innovation for example
my maternal grandfather contracted his services as a scrub cutter, fencing,
land cultivating and shearing contractor. My paternal grandfather was a fish
merchant and travelled the coast roads he later became the owner of a caf.
This work ethos has been passed onto their children and mokopuna. Shearing
became a way of life and it is here where my father met mum. They soon
married and like most New Zealand couples built their own home with the
anticipation of having their whanau. My father continued to shear but as the

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whanau grew he decided to seek a permanent job as a Watersider. He picked

up small shearing contracts which enabled him to provide additional money.

In total my parents had eight children and I am the third oldest. Both parents
were pragmatic about what they did they had many practical talents and
demonstrated this through Manaakitanga assisting others in fixing cars,
carpentry, dress making and cooking. These talents are aspects of our whanau
functioning my parents role modelled this behaviour so it was inevitable that
we would follow suit. Mason Durrie wrote that a person does not belong to an
ethnic group by choice; rather birth determines eligibility and emotional and
symbolic ties strengthen the attachment (Durie, 2001).

In reflecting on this, I believe that my parents made a conscious decision to

parent differently based on their own childhood experiences. This is related to
Te Papa Tauira framework world view my parents positioned themselves
through their lived experiences in order to protect their children in our home.
Creating Ahurutanga in our Whare Wanaanga ensured limited outside
influences to taint our world view our teachers were our parents. Dads home
was his castle and we all new that we were loved by our parents. The outer
leaves are the tupuna (ancestors); the inner leaves are the mtua (parents); the
most inner leaf is the rito or pepe (baby). (Harakeke Folklore and Rituals,
2014, p. 1).

In our home however there was no distinguishing of cultural differences. I

knew that I was Maori but my parents showed no bias to Pakeha I just thought
that we were all the same. In this setting we were saturated in the strong
values, beliefs of respectfulness and immersed in aroha that our parents
instilled in us they were the greatest influences in our lives. Their world view
greatly influenced me and it wasnt until I went to Intermediate School that I
experienced racism for the first time. Maori world-views are portrayed as
kaitiaki (responsible stewardship: see Pohatu, Ata: Growing Respectful
Relationships, 2003)

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Through colonisation my parents were placed in the generation where Te Reo

was not their first language despite their parents being fluent. This context
influenced their world view. We must never assume that colonisation is
something confined to the past (Hauora, 2007).

As children we were

connected to our marae Te Rongopai (Waituhi) and at the age of 14 years old I
participated in the restoration my father was instrumental in the completion of
this.

Our home was busy with many strong personalities. I had good relationships
with my siblings partly because I was passive by nature. My younger sister
was diagnosed at 25 years old with Bi-Polar and Personality Disorder of the
extreme kind. This diagnosis made sense now, but back then her behaviour
impacted on me in so many ways in order to cope I learnt to be reflective. In a
large family there was no room for self-indulgent behaviour it was about the
whanau as a whole and the preservation of our relationships with one another.

Sports and education were encouraged but no huge expectations placed on us

by our parents. In saying that I'm sure that they had their own aspirations for
us they saw education as a vehicle to attain career choices something they
never attained. My formative years were enjoyable I wasnt a scholar and
consider myself a plodder. I loved kapahaka and performed at Tamararo as a
young child and this continued into my adult years it is something that all my
children have done and still do. Kapahaka provided a context it was a way of
life I learnt much about myself the commitment, discipline and skills required.
Applying Kaupapa Wananga Pattern (Pohatu, 2010) wananga placed us in a
space of Kaitiakitanga and taking care of each other creating Ahurutanga in
which we will learn, attaining Mauriora and the gift of Koha and coming into
new learning. It also positioned us into a Maori worldview and the many Ata
Whakaaro and Ako moments that transpired.

I left school at 17 years old with sixth form certificate and decided that I
wanted to get married and have eight children. I was an average achiever but I
had little faith in my academic ability. Although I had my own aspirations of
being a nurse I couldn't visualise it. Instead, I pursued study in the University
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of life for which there is no degree that could capture the highs and lows that
life throws at you. In hindsight, I would make the same choice again. As a
mum, daughter, sister and nanny I assumed many roles and functions within
my Whanau. The influences and life experience has seen those roles evolve
which has informed my practice as a social worker and supervisor.

Spiritual influences

Our spiritual beliefs were influenced by Te Kooti who began the Ringatu
movement through a vision that he believed he received from God. Te
Rongopai was one of 4 marae built for Te Kooti in anticipation of his return
which was never to be. Te Rongopai was a place of healing tohunga and many
whanau dwelled at the marae. This however did change when the last Tohunga
left and the tapu lifted in the 1950s the marae lay dormant for a number of
years.

My maternal grandfather was an active member with Hori Gage. As he got

older he began to search further into spirituality and became a Christian along
with my grandmother. This was life changing for them and had a profound
effect on generations to come. Christianity and the beliefs and values in which
we were brought up placed us in a greater place of understanding and this
continued into adulthood. My mother followed the same path and we went to
the Apostolic Church as children and my children too. God is and will always
be an important part of my life he is always with me, always faithful and
always present. In considering Te Papa Tauira and applying the framework
to my experiences the bible provides the principles in which we live our life
and the bodies of knowledge and it is through my lived experiences that I
applied the learning.

My whanau

I was married for 20 years where we built our home and had two children and
was pregnant with my third when we decided to move to Australia in 1986 the
struggle for me was leaving my whanau behind. Three months passed and the
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untimely death of my dad threw me into Awhiowhio and for the next 18
months. I was caught up in the whirlwind of pain, grief and utter despair this
consumed me it was my journey I lived and breathed this until I slowly moved
to the realisation of acceptance in his passing. My father was a man with great
vision and his untimely death left a great void in our lives.

Moe mai, takoto mai e taku whakaruruhau, tau atu ki te kainga tuturu o tatou
e taku nei papa. Waihotia I a koe I runga I te whariki o te Rangimarie okioki
ai.

The grief was made harder by the lack of support that I received from my
husband. Australia was to be the training ground where I learnt resilience
through adversity, strength through pain, and the ability to reflect and process
situations and having faith in God. My marriage was hard work remaining
buoyant and committed to a man who was self-centred and with no vision was
tough. I accepted that this is where I needed to be it placed me in Ata Noho an
environment in which to instil and nurture my children in the beliefs and
values that I learnt as a child.

With the pending birth of my fifth baby I was determined to return home and
in doing so I felt a great sense of relief the weight of being responsible for my
husband was gone and I was in a state of Ata-Noho once again. The Tamariki
flourished I sold our home and purchased a larger home across the road from
my parents. Their father moved home after working for a year in Australia,
the Taukumekume between us was challenging I had changed he had become
even more egocentric. Amongst all of this my sixth child was born. My saving
grace was my whanau daily visits to sit and talk with my mother about
relationship issues I believe this was my first introduction to supervision. Te
Ara Tohu and Nga Takepu were in action in these sessions of supervision and
I gained a new sense of self although there was much Taukumekume around
me. I began to consider study and in 1998 to commence the Certificate in
Social Service and in 1999 I began my Diploma in Social Work. Through
Matauranga my world view was challenged pulled apart and rearranged I
began to question, define, articulate and reflect on Ko wai au?
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Six months into my Diploma in 1999, my first mokopuna was born Riley
Retimana Malik Raniera Te Kani Ruha. Riley taught us so much about
ourselves, the important things in life and relationships he lived for eight
weeks and then left us. It was during this time that the childrens father reevaluated his life and left three weeks after we laid our boy to rest and with
him Rileys paternal grandmother to live in Australia. He remained in
Australia for 13 years in total.

I was now a single parent and supporting my daughter, her partner and
children through the grieving process was at times overwhelming however my
studies provided me with skills in which to apply to the situations that arose at
the time. The grief and loss of Riley was entwined with the anger and betrayal
his parents felt for their parents. The turmoil that followed is a whole different
korero but to apply Nga Takepu to this context I would describe it as life
changing, we were vulnerable, it also validated who I am and where I was
going in my studies as a mother it was also transformative to say the least. Te
Ara Tohu was the method in which I used to ensure I was on the right path
there was so much going on that I had to revaluate my position, naming and
defining it.

The separation brought a new addition to the whanau and I gave birth to my
seventh child Maumahara she is my kinder surprise and she along with my
other Tamariki grounded me and so the process of healing and change began
with my whanau.

A midst all of this I would like to acknowledge my bother Alan Patrick

Horsfall who passed away 12 years ago. The pain and loss was almost
unbearable. Moe mai ra taku taina, e kore rawa a roimata e puritia, ka tuku
tonu atu kia maringi me he wai. Takoto mai, moe ra mai.

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My Supervision History

My work history in supervision commenced when I started at Child, Youth

and Family (CYF) in 2001. I understood the importance of supervision
through my studies. Supervision was fortnightly as I was a new practitioner
and as I gained experience it was monthly, with an open door policy. As a new
social worker my first experience in supervision was appalling due to over the
course of a year I had 5 different supervisors. This changed when an
experienced supervisor was allocated to our team she grounded me in my role
in care and protection and I learnt much about all areas of work and processes.
I felt supported and heard. As Allyson Davys and Liz Beddoe said it is a
lifelong process of professional critique and learning (Davys & Beddoe, Best
Practice in Professional Supervision A guide for the helping professionals,
2010, p. 9).

I was then appointed as a supervisor of a team at CYF. As well as providing

supervision to the social workers I also received supervision by the practice
leader. These levels of line management worked well and the additional
support by the practice leader enhanced my knowledge and skill. My attitude
to supervision was positive and I was always open to learn new strategies in
practice and ways of providing good supervision to my team. I embraced
supervision it gave me time to reflect it kept me in a safe space it was the
vehicle in which I felt supported. The same would apply to supervision and
professional development where there is strong support that reflective practice
is a cornerstone for effective supervision and professional development
(Beddoe, 2004).

My life and work experience and education placed me in good stead and more
importantly I had the confidence to move into my next position Social Work
Team Leader at the hospital. When I first started at the hospital supervision
within the health sector was associated primarily to social work. However over
the past 7 years I have seen a culture change and it is becoming an accepted
norm amongst most professions.

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It was at this time I decided to do my Degree in Applied Social Science I did

this to challenge myself and through adversity l learnt to face my fears and
challenge myself. I then went on to complete a Diploma in Adult Education
through Te Wananga o Aotearoa as I needed to learn a bi-cultural perspective
and the implementation of Nga Takepu into my practice as a supervisor. In
this role I provide supervision to 5 social workers and I receive external
supervision outside of the organisation. This works well for me as I gain a
better perspective without being drawn into the culture or dynamics of the
organisation. In countries with indigenous populations such as Aotearoa (New
Zealand) the imperative for culturally safe supervision, incorporating
indigenous values and models of supervision (Beddoe and Egan 2009, p.414).

A midst all of this I would like to acknowledge my bother Alan Patrick

Horsfall who passed away 12 years ago. The pain and loss was almost
unbearable. Moe mai ra toku taina, moe mai ra, moe mai ra.

Conclusion
Its been validating to acknowledge that my whakapapa is te timatanga and
that 'ko wai au is interwoven into the layers of knowledge and experiences
that have been gifted to me by my tipuna. It is important to recognise that Te
Ao Maori has fashioned ways for Maori to live life by (Pohatu, 2008, p. 2).

My work history is extensive in the field of supervision and in order to learn I

have deconstructed my past experiences to come into a new consciousness of
learning. The matauranga has enabled me to acknowledge the learnings,
influences and principles in which I live and practice. I have once again been
given the opportunity to delve into my world view and acknowledge the
bodies of knowledge and principles that confirm who I am.

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References

Beddoe, L. (2004) Reflection in critical reflection on social work: Learning about

learning and thinking about thinking in social work. Social Work Review, 40th
Anniversary Issue 1964-2004, p50.
Beddoe, L. and Egan, R. (2009) Social Work Supervision. In M. Connolly and
L. Harms (eds) Social Work: Contexts and Practice. 2nd edn. Melbourne: Oxford
University Press.
Davys, A., & Beddoe, L. (2010). Best Practice in Professional Supervision A
guide for the helping professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Durie, M. H. (2001). Mauri Ora: The Dynamics of Maori Health, Auckland:

Oxford University Press.
Introduction to Wi Pere Trust; www.wipere.co.nz
Robson, B, Harris R, (eds). Hauora: Maori Standards of Health IV. A study of the
years 2000-2005. Wellington: Te Roopu Rangahau Hauora an Eru Pomare, p 4.
Pohatu, T. (2008). Takepu: principled approaches to healthy relationships.
Published in Proceedings of the Traditional Knowledge Conference 2008, Te
Tatau Pounamu: The Greenstone Door, ISBN 0-9582610-8-3.
Pohatu, T. (2010). Te Whanake Ngaio Professional Development.

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