Briar emphasizes the importance of indigenous wisdom in shaping personal wellbeing and workplace safety. She drew from Māori perspectives and her study of rongoā (traditional healing) to highlight how reconnecting with Papatūānuku (Mother Earth) fosters resilience and mental strength. The idea that healthy people lead to safer workplaces is central—wellbeing isn’t just a “nice-to-have” but a foundation for safety and productivity.
Briar discussed the Power of Connection—To Land, Culture, and Each Other. Indigenous knowledge sees humans as part of, not separate from, nature. This deep interconnection is crucial for both environmental sustainability and personal balance. Briar shared how traditional practices, like blessing the land before high risk work, can influence workplace safety culture and mental wellbeing. Organizations should create space for genuine cultural practices rather than tokenistic gestures. Making sure there is understanding of tikanga (protocols) helps avoid disconnect or lack of engagement.
When it comes to Cultural Intelligence in Safety Leadership One of the biggest cultural intelligence mistakes safety professionals make is assuming knowledge or lack of knowledge within diverse teams. Instead of imposing a dominant culture, leaders should listen, learn, and empower different cultural perspectives. Briar compares this idea to the Three Sisters planting method (corn, beans, and squash working together). Similarly, different workplace cultures shouldn’t be blended into one but should complement and strengthen each other.
And lastly, Bringing Indigenous Knowledge into Everyday Work. Briar’s korowai weaving project is a powerful metaphor—by incorporating natural materials, traditional dyes, and storytelling, she connects her work to history, identity, and purpose. Similar approaches can be used in health & safety—creating rituals, storytelling, and culturally aligned practices can make safety messages more impactful. The key is integration, not assimilation—indigenous knowledge should stand on its own rather than be forced to fit into Western frameworks.
Finally, some Practical Actions for Health & Safety Professionals
1. Learn basic cultural greetings and protocols for the cultures you work with—it shows respect and builds trust.
2. Involve workers in setting workplace tikanga (guidelines) that align with their cultural values, making safety feel more intrinsic rather than imposed.
3. Recognize that not all indigenous employees will have deep cultural knowledge, so support their journey instead of expecting them to be cultural experts.
4. Understand the cultural values that may influence risk perception, like the Filipino concept of Bahalana, which can impact safety behaviors.
This episode really explored how Small Steps Create Big Change - Briar’s experience with the book Braiding Sweetgrass and her international learning journey shows that change starts at a local level. Safety professionals don’t need to be cultural experts, rather they should take small, thoughtful actions—like acknowledging tikanga, fostering cultural dialogue, and supporting indigenous wisdom which can lead to big shifts in how workplaces approach safety and wellbeing.
