Rehabilitation and indigenous peoples: the Māori experience

Abstract

Indigenous peoples often have the worst health status in comparison to non-indigenous people in their own nations; urgent action to address the health inequities for indigenous people is required. The role of rehabilitation in addressing health and disability inequities is particularly important due to the health need of indigenous peoples; the unequal distribution of health determinants; and disparities in access to, quality of care through and outcomes following rehabilitation. This article will present a perspective for Māori, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, on a framework for improving rehabilitation services for Māori and ultimately their health and wellbeing.

Keywords:

• Indigenous
• Maori
• rehabilitation

Declaration of interest: The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.