Bridging Cultures: Understanding Iowa’s Legal Aid Housing Through the Lens of Waitaha Teachings

For all their reputation in the Western World, there remains something ethereal, some sacred quality, about the culture of indigenous people in the New World. Known for their peaceful outlook and their in-depth knowledge of the land they inhabited, the native tribes stood stoic against the encroachment of European settlers. While Christianity promised salvation, the Waitaha seemed to have that very idea – as if they possessed an inherent certainty in their lives even in the face of encroaching devastation. This certainty, and the values by which these native people lived, perhaps had something to do with the striking lifestyle that the Waitaha practiced.

Since 2005, Iowa Legal Aid housing has seen exponential increases in the number of clients seeking their help in housing assistance matters. In total, over 58,000 statewide families or individuals sought legal assistance from Legal Aid in this period, a staggering figure (Iowa Legal Aid for Housing). With such a high demand for services, it is important to understand how best to provide legal aid to these individuals who have nowhere else to turn. Returning once more to our indigenous roots, the values of Waitaha may provide some insight into how to aid these individuals in their plight.

According to their own website, the Waitaha are known as “the People of the White Stone.” Some of the practices of the Waitaha involve the preservation of their culture, including such seemingly mundane rituals as planting potatoes (Waitaha of New Zealand). For the purposes of this article, though, we will instead focus on the concept of respect that the Waitaha instilled in their daily lives. Not only was the natural world deserving of respect (as the land was sacred to them) but so too were its people. The Old Ones (as they called themselves) lived according to the creed of “peace, goodwill, and brotherhood,” not only within the confines of their territory, but also beyond it (beyondpolitics.net).

Now, the goal of carrying this cultural insight beyond mere appreciation is one of practicality. The question becomes, how can this respect be represented in an aid program? As I noted in my prior article on the subject, the most basic concept here is respect for the individual. This is in addition to the respect for the community at large.

The practical aspect of respect in a legal aid program is the differentiation between the individuals that seek legal aid and the large groups that they belong to. When seeking a confidential settlement to a case, a plaintiff has a very private matter to consider. Since these are issues that are inherently close to the person experiencing them, the goal of legal aid in general – attending closely to the individual – applies throughout. Social justice requires that legal aid be given to these individuals by means of their perspectives and realities. Only with awareness of their situation can we begin to assist.

Working with a community also requires respect. Like the Waitaha, our legal aid services must work towards a motley goal that transfers the gains of our individuals towards the benefit of the community at large. While solutions may be unique in the experiences of each party, the intent is what matters. Housing injustices affect everyone with even peripheral involvement.

Part of the nature of respect is the acknowledgment and promotion of the power of women. Without doubt, the Waitaha were a matriarchal society (Druce et al). At all levels, women were bestowed with authority and reverence – a fact reflected in modern Waitahan communities (Mason). While it may be alarmist to discuss gender in the context of housing injustice (problems affect all genders equally), our legal aids could benefit from an increased emphasis on the women that seek their services. If the culture of the Waitaha is any guide, we should foster outreach opportunities to promote our legal aids within the communities they serve. Much like the Waitaha for their Stone Country, women within housing development and social justice activism are expected in many of these situations to have an authoritative voice and to speak for their communities.

As we’ve seen, the Waitahans had a long-standing tradition of oral retellings. It is clear the Waitahan culture valued these stories above all else. As their oral history indicates, their gods were born from the stone country itself and the power of these deities shaped the form of the land that we now see today. There is a sense of importance about the narrative of the Waitaha, an idea that there is a relevance in the story that furthers our knowledge of paradigm. In much the same way, the stories that the members of a community bring to a legal aid program can shed insight into the primary considerations for the welfare of that community. Such considerations would be lost without the perspective and influence of those actively living within a community.

Respect has repeated in our discussion because it is a cornerstone of both the Waitaha and our legal aid services. To respect the reality of the communities we serve is to have a clear idea of what benefits they are in need of. Without losing sight of the regulation, working closely with these communities and treating them as equals encourages active participation in the process – ensuring a smoother transition to justice.

By encouraging cultural understanding, we may learn more about the obstacles that these communities face. Women may be able to elevate their voices as advocates. Individuals may struggle to connect with the wide cultural challenges of a community. It is only through understanding that we can surmount these issues and find solutions.

For more information on legal aid services and their impact, you can visit Nolo’s Legal Aid Overview.