About us
At Kanorau, we aim to create a positive and nurturing environment for people to express their special abilities, to empower whānau and professionals to transform the deficit narrative and stigma that surrounds ‘disability’ and to raise awareness on inclusive practices that accept diversity.
For many Tāonga Takiwātanga, their worldview is different and special. Kanorau meaning diversity or to be diverse, is about celebrating each individual's uniqueness and presence.
At Kanorau we offer meaningful support, information and programmes to enable tāngata whaitakiwātanga and their whānau to lead good lives.
Vision
Our why
In 2019, our son Te Aurere was diagnosed with Takiwātanga. Since then our lives have changed and we have been on an endless journey of navigating systems and approaches that are not culturally appropriate for our whānau, as Māori.
Our knowledge and understanding of our sons diagnosis and ‘disability’ derived from clinical and Western perspectives of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The information, terminology, processes and professionals we engaged with placed Te Aurere’s needs in a health system that is based on a medical framework focusing on treatment, therapeutic intervention and services.
Through that experience we were led to create Kanorau: Takiwātanga Consultants.
We knew the positive influence our tikanga, reo and mātauranga could have on raising Te Aurere where we could look at his needs and overall hauora of our whānau from a holistic perspective that encapsulates all facets of our lives – cultural, spiritual, physical, emotional, social and intellectual.
At Kanorau it is our mission to enable opportunities for whānau to self-determine what a good life looks like for them and to drive systematic change that inherently understands the positive impact achieved by understanding takiwātanga through a Māori lens.