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178 years of Treaty — What has been the intergenerational impact on your local iwi?

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Maria Tibble

treaty talks: te tiriti o waitangi

Dear Teachers

waitangi-maraeI encourage you to localise the Treaty of Waitangi to where you currently reside so the day has even more meaning for the Māori students in your class and adds real contemporary texts for all students.

As Waitangi Day approaches and the media hype is sensationalised by the latest prejudices, divided opinions, and historic events of past Treaty of Waitangi protestations, I ask that you spare a thought for the student in your class who is Māori, whose descent claims an ancestry that reaches back to the beginning of time. To this student whose character continues to be shaped and influenced by the impact of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 to 2018, 178 years later.

As a teacher, you have the opportunity to teach and LEARN how the Treaty of Waitangi may have shaped the identity of students’ whānau, their hapū, their iwi. You could extend an invitation to local people to talk about the Treaty story of their iwi and how this important partnership document has impacted and continues to affect their rights as hapū/iwi to this day. Here lies an opportunity to privilege cultural knowledge and perhaps learn about hapū and iwi approaches to maintaining their customary rights and sovereignty over their lands, water rights, and fisheries.

As the leader of learning in the class, you determine the stories that will be heard, the voices that will be listened to, and the careful selection of resources that will be viewed. These will all have a huge influence on how students view themselves as Māori, as iwi, as Treaty partners, and as tangata whenua of Aotearoa.

My mokopuna has ancestral descent lines from Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Te Rangi, Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, and Tainui. The Treaty of Waitangi has had a huge impact on each of these iwi and Treaty stories may echo similar themes, but the experiences are raw, distinctive, and unique to each tribal area.They cannot be hybridised to the Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi story, but rather, the Treaty and its impact on the iwi of Te Arawa. The Tūhoe story of the Treaty. Do not be seduced to thinking that the story ends there, as these may be individualised further to hapū or sub tribes within this iwi grouping. Not one story is the same, nor the approach as you will see in the Ngāti Porou example.

Te Arawa’s involvement with the Treaty of Waitangi

In 1840, Thomas Chapman, a well known missionary for the Church Missionary Society (CMS), was asked to seek signatures for the Treaty of Waitangi in the Rotorua and Taupō districts. The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on the 6th February 1840. It established a British Governor in New Zealand. It recognised Māori ownership of their lands and gave Māori the rights of British subjects. It subsequently opened the door to colonisation, which had a devastating impact on tribes all over Aotearoa, including Te Arawa.

Te Arawa did not sign the Treaty in 1840, as they were confident they did not need the protection of the Queen. However, they agreed to its terms in 1860 with a group of Te Arawa leaders signing a covenant in Kohimarama, Auckland, recognising the Treaty as a binding document of partnership with the Crown. Why? Because they had suffered the negative effects of colonisation. Sadly, signing the covenant would prove meaningless as Claudia Orange comments:

The Kohimarama resolution was similar to a formal ratification of the treaty. The government promised to hold further conferences to discuss sharing power, but no more were held. The chiefs who attended the conference expected to play a greater part in decision-making, but they were to be disappointed.

In 2009, Prime Minister John Key formally apologised to Te Arawa for historical Treaty breaches against Te Arawa. “The Crown profoundly regrets and unreservedly apologises for the breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles.” Historical Treaty breaches noted in the Crown Apology included the Crown’s aggressive purchasing techniques for land opened to Pākehā settlement in the central North Island. Te Arawa suffered losses, in the main, through consolidation schemes and public works takings. The Crown officially handed over to Te Arawa $85 million in cash and assets that year.

Eru George commented then,

“It marks a conclusion in a process that has spanned generations of our tupuna [ancestors] who committed their lives to righting the wrongs and seeking resolutions for injustices on our people.”

Two important points I’d like to make here. First, George’s comment, “spanning generations of our tūpuna”. At what cost were the negotiations to families, hapū, and iwi? How were they able to fight the might of the Crown with limited resources? What drove them to continue the struggle that spanned generations? What stories of resilience, of struggle, of protest, of courage come from these times and the deeds of the ancestors of these mokopuna?

The wording of the “Crown’s aggressive purchasing techniques for land” is interesting as well. Of the hapū and iwi whose lands were seized, illegally taken or stolen, what impacts were suffered on the lives of Te Arawa people? What price in land and economic loss did Te Arawa pay for British citizenship? The effects are still felt today and are a part of our history as Te Arawa. If you were to ask, what the Treaty means to me, previously my answer would have been the legalised theft of our land and the economic decline of our tribe. Now, it is about the future and how Treaty settlements can contribute to the economic prosperity of our tribe. However the colonial residue of land loss is still an unforgotten and very real mamae (hurt).

As part of the healing process, in 2005, Te Arawa were able to express the suffering they had endured to Crown Ministers during the “Telling the Story” hui (George, 2005). This enabled Te Arawa to tell their stories of grievance, of suffering, of hurts that have had intergenerational impact. Do these stories have a place in the telling of the story of the Treaty of Waitangi in your class if you live in the tribal boundaries of Te Arawa, in Rotorua?

Moving in to 2018, however, what might the current Treaty story say? My telling would not only involve the retelling of this history and disruptive influence of colonisation but also the exciting future that lies ahead for our mokopuna. What does a Te Arawa mokopuna future look like? How have Te Arawa used Treaty settlement money so Te Arawa can thrive and prosper?

Let’s look at one example, the Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust. Ngāti Whakaue is a sub tribe of Te Arawa. “Iwi Asset Trust doubles its asset base in 10 years to 18.3 million” — NZ Herald

In 2009 the trust was given a 9.2 million Kaingaroa Forest settlement fund to invest for the collective benefit of Ngāti Whakaue.  Thanks to “astute and strategic investment plays”, Ms Paul confirmed the asset base had since doubled and was on track to surpass $20m by 2020.

In 2016, the Trust distributed $707,975 in grants to Whakaue marae and supported various community events like Whakaue Whakanuia, which is an amazing one-day celebration of what makes a person “quintessentially Whakaue”. It is a day where Ngāti Whakaue marae congregate, including Te Papaiōuru, Tumahaurangi, Te Kuirau, and Waikuta who perform a series of items reinforcing tribal whakapapa and waiata. It is a day that privileges Whakaue tikanga and reo.

What iwi stories will you invite into the classroom?

waitangi protests

What stories will you tell my moko, or the mokopuna who sits in your class in the lead up to Waitangi Day whether you are at the top of the North Island or the bottom of the South Island? Are you aware of the Treaty of Waitangi claims local iwi have made to the Waitangi Tribunal? (a commission of inquiry, that inquires into claims brought by Māori relating to Crown actions that breach the promises made in the Treaty of Waitangi)?

The Foreshore and Seabed controversy, which concerns the ownership of the country’s foreshore and seabed, has many iwi claiming they have a rightful claim to the title under the Treaty of Waitangi. In November 2004, New Zealand Parliament passed a law deeming the title to be held by the Crown — in other words, public ownership. This law, the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004, was enacted on 24 November 2004. Some sections of the Act came into force on 17 January 2005. Widespread protest arose. Māori anger at this legislation resulted in the formation of the Māori Party. The Act was repealed and replaced by the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011. If you return to the purpose of the Treaty of Waitangi and what was signed in 1840 and 1860, iwi do have rightful claims, and honouring the partnership agreement made 178 years ago still has an enduring impact to this day.

Let’s return to my mokopuna and her whakapapa.

Ngā Puhi — If you are from the North, could your Waitangi unit be about the recent Northland Inquiry or Wai 1040 which is examining Ngā Puhi’s 600 plus Treaty claims? Some of the stories uncovered in the hearings talk of the confiscation of land for unpaid rates. Families who were trying to maintain ahi kā (keep the home fires burning) on their land were forced to give up land to pay rates arrears. An example of aggressive land purchasing techniques?

Ngāti Porou — The Takutai Moana ratification process for the iwi is huge. In October 2008 Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Porou Foreshore and Seabed Deed of Agreement was ratified and signed by 48 hapū and the Crown at Parliament. However, the repeal and replacement of the Foreshore and Seabed Act, with the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 has provided the basis for these hapū and the Crown to negotiate a range of improvements to the Deed. At Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou Annual General Meeting held 25 November 2017, 47 hapū had ratified amendments to the 2008 Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Porou Foreshore and Seabed Deed of Agreement and 8 groups had yet to decide (slide 9). The work that goes in to ensuring each hapū has the opportunity to engage with their iwi organisation and have a voice in exercising their rights as mana whenua is significant. 47 hapū having a voice in the running of their iwi affairs and a unified approach to negotiating with the Crown is no mean feat. Legislation for the iwi is a major priority in 2018 and ensuring partnerships with the Crown are honoured.

Whāia ko te mātauranga hai whitiki te iwi, kia toa ai.
Seek ye from the fountain of knowledge so the people may be uplifted, thrive, and prosper.
– Kepa Ehau (Esteemed Te Arawa orator)

 

Maria Tibble

 

Bibliography

Philip Andrews. External links and sources for ‘Chapman, Anne Maria’, Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990, updated November, 2001. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1c13/chapman-anne-maria/sources (accessed 23 January 2018)Pumautanga News.  Retrieved from Pumautanga Newsletter. http://tpota.org.nz/resources/PumautangaKorero/TP_Korero%20Oct%202009.pdf (accessed January 2018)
Rotorua Public Library Te Whare o te Matauranga.  Retrieved from Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi http://www.rotorualibrary.govt.nz/maori/TeTiritioWaitangi/Pages/default.aspx (accessed 23 January 2018)
Rotorua Daily Post.  Retrieved from Te Arawa face greatest challenge” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503438&objectid=10983683 (accessed 23 January 2018)
Claudia Orange, ‘Treaty of Waitangi’, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/treaty-of-waitangi/print (accessed 23 January 2018).  Story by Claudia Orange, published 20 Jun 2012
Rotorua Daily Post.  Retrieved from “Iwi Asset Trust doubles its asset base in 10 years to 18.3 million” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503434&objectid=11938803
Whakaue Whakanuia.  Retrieved from http://www.maoritelevision.com/tv/shows/nga-pari-karangaranga/S08E009/ngati-whakaue-whakanuia-series-8-episode-9
Legislative violations of the Treaty of Waitangi 1840-1990 the first 150 years
Retrieved from http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~sai/Tr_violn.html
Waitangi Tribunal – Te Rōpu Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi – https://www.waitangitribunal.govt.nz/claims-process/
New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy. (2017, September 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:35, January 23, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Zealand_foreshore_and_seabed_controversy&oldid=802067148
Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou Annual General Meeting.  Retrieved from http://www.ngatiporou.com/sites/default/files/uploads/20171123%202017%20AGM%20slides%20consolidated.pdf Accessed January 24th 2018.

treaty talks: te tiriti o waitangi

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te tiriti o waitangi articles

Article 2 and Te Reo Māori

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Anahera McGregor

treaty talks: te tiriti o waitangi

Writing a blog is an opportunity to share musings, and also to reflect on how you feel and understand a topic at a certain time and place.

Two years ago I shared my reflections on te reo Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the following blog. As I read through it again, I looked for shifts in my thinking, and also did a sense test about the kaupapa in wider society two years on. I thought about the space between rangatiratanga and kāwanatanga – when to speak up and when to just comfortably ‘be’, where critique doesn’t matter, and where deep conviction is the only motivator for an innate desire to honour te reo Māori.

We contribute to reo Māori revitalisation because we care. We speak because it calls us to speak. Our contributions, whether this means improving our pronunciation, gaining fluency, or just the small steps we make towards using te reo Māori every day, will lead to the outcome of honouring Article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I remain optimistic! I will do my part and encourage others to do theirs. As you read, please take the time to think about what contributions you might be able to make towards honouring te reo Māori through a Tiriti lens. If you’ve been on a reo learning plateau, take one more step this year. If you’re just beginning, we are cheering you on! Kia ora te reo Māori. – Anahera, February 2020.

As Waitangi day commemorations draw closer, it is an ideal time to reflect on what this day may mean to us. For me, it is an ideal opportunity to bring important issues such as culture, identity, and language to the forefront. In our special edition Waitangi week blog series, we share with you a wide range of perspectives on Treaty related topics. As the first blog in this series, I explore the kaupapa of te reo Māori in our society. So, that begs the question — He taonga rānei te reo Māori? Is te reo Māori indeed a treasure?

Treaty of Waitangi articles

At the very heart of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Article 2, we see mention of the word ‘taonga’. In the reo Māori version of the Treaty, the chiefs were confirmed and guaranteed the exercise of the chieftainship, or tino rangatiratanga over their lands, villages, and ‘taonga katoa’ — all treasured things. The crown also stated in the Treaty that there was to be exclusive and undisturbed possession of these treasures. Te reo Māori has, however, been disturbed drastically. On Waitangi Day this year, we remain in a state of fierce reclamation of our language. We continue to fight for this precious taonga that wasn’t duly protected and confirmed as intended under te Tiriti.

Te reo Māori is part of my absolute being. It flows like blood through my veins, it is in my spirit, it is in my soul. It is like oxygen, it heals, it makes my heart sing. It unites me with my tūpuna and, if I nurture it, it will connect me with my mokopuna. My reo is a huge part of my identity, possibly because I had to learn how to “be Māori”. Connection with te ao Māori was not a part of my upbringing. I started at the beginning and one step at a time have learned to walk and talk in the language and ways of my ancestors. It hasn’t always been easy, and, as I went through the stages of cultural reclamation, I learnt that attitudes towards te reo Māori are hugely diverse. I saw this diversity in my own family, my friends, and in fact everyone I interacted with.

In order to uncover the plethora of reasons why te reo Māori may or may not be embraced widely throughout our society, we need to dig deep into the ways in which the human heart responds to things Māori in general. Negativity towards te ao Māori is often felt, seen, and heard. This negativity is at times fueled by myth, media, intergenerational perspectives, or even perhaps from a space of divine, blissful ignorance. It often starts with the phrase, “I’m not racist, but….”. At the far end of the negativity scale, we see complaints received when a child is taught te reo Māori in the classroom or when parents fume because their children came home singing a Māori song. On a less explicit front, it is also felt when no attempt whatsoever is made to correctly pronounce Māori words. It is felt in the unseen, where monoculture is ever present.

As negativity continues to flourish, so does a cohort of society that is very pro-Māori. We see this in the uptake of those engaged in learning te reo Māori, in those who are committed to correct pronunciation, and those that encourage the use of reo in their everyday lives. There are also those that engage in kaupapa Māori, those that have relationships with Māori, and those that attend events in Māori settings such as marae. To all those that are taking any step, big or small, towards learning and using te reo Māori, thank you!

Of all the perspectives and attitudes towards te reo Māori, of particular interest is the notion of fear when faced with the idea of engaging with te ao Māori. Is this a fear of the unknown, fear of reprimand, fear of offending, or just fear of getting it wrong? When you learn te reo Māori you will and do get it wrong. It is like learning anything new — it is very difficult to master without practice. The only way through is through, and as with all the other learning challenges that life presents, te reo Māori is no exception to the rule. Sometimes fear may be a barrier — that, if we are honest, may actually be a handy excuse for not engaging in things that make us feel a bit uncomfortable.

If we were to exchange the word Māori, let’s say, for “maths”, what feelings does that invoke? Here are a few examples:

  • “I don’t teach maths because I’m scared I’ll get it wrong”,
  • “We only have 10% of children here who are interested in maths so we don’t really do very much”, or,
  • “We do maths, for a week during our Matariki celebrations”.

Without a doubt, maths is an incredibly important life-long skill. How incredible could it also be to place importance on learning te reo Māori to transform not just one’s education, but to transform the very land that we live in. This is not meant to be a criticism for the sake of identifying things I don’t agree with, but it is a fight, it is advocacy, it is a plea — if our children are indeed the future, our conscious choices to do what is right for them and our society — to be free of racism, injustice, and inequity truly matters. And then there is the argument for correct pronunciation.

A focus on correct pronunciation may be painful or annoying to some. It may feel like a criticism, but imagine if everyone believed that 1 + 1 = 3. Some things are simply wrong. Like mispronunciation of te reo Māori. The language, then, just gets put into the old “too hard” basket. Or, is it even that pride may also play a part in our attitudes towards te reo Māori? I am not intending to come across as self-righteous; I am full of fault and my shortcomings are numerous. I am also full of love for, and despair over the current state of te reo Māori in our society. Advocacy for correct pronunciation is imperative, and even more so because the issue is never the issue. Underneath all the layers of mispronunciation is possibly a simple reason. It is this — ‘I actually don’t care’. I do not believe it is too hard. I do not believe it can’t be learnt. It is a conscious choice that each and every one of us makes every time we need to use a Māori word — will I attempt to say this or not? It is not about ability, but a decision made deep in the human heart.

Although discounted by many, I believe te reo Māori is currently in a state of vibrant recovery. Mainstream New Zealanders are turning towards our language now more than ever before in our history. The powerful model we see in Te Tiriti o Waitangi is one way we could actually work together to protect our taonga. I no longer see the Treaty as an object of negativity as I once did in my fiery youth. It now fills me with hope about a future filled with potential to restore te reo Māori as a taonga. Whenever I read the words of Article 2 they speak to me, reminding me of a time when we believed that language was a taonga. For the sake of a better future, let’s start today. A new word, committing to learning better pronunciation, an attitude shift or fulfilling your dream of fluency. Kia kaha rā ki a tātou katoa. He taonga te reo.

treaty talks: te tiriti o waitangi

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matarua kapa haka 2017

Te Puna Mātauranga Māori

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Whare Isaac-Sharland

Whare Isaac-Sharland Nā Whare Isaac-Sharland

E tangi e reo, mōu e ngaro haere nei.
Ko te Huia kua ngaro noa atu,
Otirā ko ana kupu tohutohu.
Kāore ko tōna reo, i waihotia mai.
Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
(Nā Whare Isaac-Sharland rāua ko Apera Clark)

Ko Tawhiuau rāua ko Hikurangi ngā maunga,
Ko Rangtaiki rāua ko Waiawa ngā awa.
Ko Ngāti Whare, rātou ko Ngāti Koro, ko Ngāti Ruapani ōku hapu.
He uri ahau o Ngāti Manawa ki Murupara me Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa.
Ko Tangiharuru te tangata, ko ngā tukemata o Kahungunu!
Tēnā tātou katoa.

Te Roopu Kapa Haka ō Matarua 2017I tērā tau, 2017, i riro i a au te karahipi iWhara a Tākuta Vince Ham, nā Tātai Aho Rau.  Nōku te whakamānawa, nōku te whiwhi, nōku te hōnore.  Ko te iWhara a Tākuta Vince Ham, he karahipi rangahau hei whakapakari i ngā pūkenga o te pouako.  Me aro te kaitono ki tētahi kaupapa whakahirahira o te ao whakaako, o te ao mātauranga anō hoki.  Mā te kaikarahipi te kaupapa rangahau e kōwhiri, māna hoki e whai.  Mā Tātai Aho Rau ngā pukenga o te kaikarahipi e tautoko, e hāpai i te roanga o te tau, kia tutuki ōna hiahia, kia eke tana rangahau. Ka mihi ki a Tātai Aho Rau e whakawhanake ana i ērā pūkenga rangahau ōku.

Ko te kapa haka me ana hononga ki ngā pūkenga ako o te tamaiti ngā whāinga matua o taku rangahau.  E pēnei ana te takoto o ōku whakaaro i te korenga o ētahi o Ngāi Māori i whakaae he kaupapa whakahirahira te kapa haka ki ngā wharekura rānei, ki ngā kura tuarua rānei. Kōtore whererei ana te rongo e noho ana ētahi ki te pae o kore whakaae!

Hohepa and Whare Isaac-SharlandKohukohurangi Isaac-Sharland, Te Mauri Isaac-Sharland, Putorino Isaac-SharlandE 23 ngā tau māua ko taku tane e whāia ana ko te reo me ōna tikanga te reo matua o te whānau, hei whakarauora hoki i te mātauranga Māori ki ō māua whānau.  Kua roa tā māua whawhai i ngā whakaaro auraki.  Heoi, i tētahi o ngā wāhanga o taku rangahau iWhara, i warewaretia katoatia aua akoranga, nā te mea i taku tuhinga e mea ana, “he iti noa iho ngā kōrero rangahau mō te kapa haka i tēnei ao hurihuri”.  Tērā pea ka pānuihia tēnei o aku tuhinga e ōku karangamaha o te motu, ā ka puku ngā rae.  Ka rongo au i ā rātou kupu e whakatika mai ana, me aro kē au ki ngā mātauranga Māori.  Ka tika hoki tēnā kōrero, kei te ao Māori kē ngā tini kōrero hei taunaki i ngā hua o te kapa haka.

E hia tau au e kite ana i ngā hua o te kapa haka mō te iwi Māori?  Pērā ki te reo, he taonga tuku iho nā ō tātou tupuna.  Nā te kapa haka, ka rere te reo rangatira, ka ako ngā tauira i ngā kōrero a te Māori, i ngā tikanga Māori, ka mutu, ka tangata whenua ēnei akoranga i roto i a rātou.

Mōku ake ko te rongoā mō ngā raru katoa e patu nei i a Ngāi Māori, kei te ao Māori, kei te mātauranga Māori. Nā tēnei rangahau iWhara kua oho anō au, kua titi ki te ngākau, ki te whatumanawa ngā mōhiotanga, ngā māramatanga o te mātauranga Māori, kia taunga ēnei āhuatanga i roto i a tātou, ka māmā ake te hīkoi i te ao Pākēhā.

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weaving

Creating culturally safe organisations: Lessons from health

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Alex Hotere-Barnes

weaving

Over the last few years, I’ve worked with several organisations who want to improve engagement with Māori on educational issues. As Pākehā, I’ve been involved in these kinds of projects because of experiences and commitment to building knowledge and practice about how, as non-Māori, to best affirm Māori authority. I’ve been really interested in the impacts of this type of learning, and how this can strengthen our relationships.

My basic assumption has been this: if non-Māori recognise and affirm Māori aspirations by sharing power to make sound decisions, then we can achieve a Tiriti-based present and future. This benefits everybody because we can leverage diverse forms of knowledge and skills — opening up space for co-innovation. These opportunities aren’t new — people have been building and sharing knowledge for ages in order to enhance our lives. The problem is that, when we encounter complicated topics like, how power is shared between cultural identities, that’s when people can get stuck.

Undoing harm

My Treaty Partner, tangata whenua, have long said that our education system has a long history of doing harm, and that schools have been unsafe places. Why? Because, they tend to perpetuate and privilege the worldviews and practices of people who look like me: Pākehā/European, male, middle-class, able-bodied, married hetrosexual (and bald)! This mono-cultural approach doesn’t work for Māori, because it erases their own understandings of the world. It does this by hiding its own cultural biases.

Cultural bias creates disparity in health and education. It does this by negating multiple ways of being. Cultural bias doesn’t allow for how different people experience the world, behave, and organise themselves. Cultural bias blames people for “their own educational failure”. It can also impact on teacher judgements about Māori student performance. This does intergenerational harm to individuals, families and communities. Unfortunately, this is part of the colonial reality I/we have inherited in Aotearoa. A reality that benefits some, and does huge amounts of harm to many other individuals, families, and communities.

So, what is to be done?

Cultural safety provides one of many alternatives to cultural bias and mono-culturalism. It offers an educational framework for the analysis of power relationships between professionals, organisations, and those we serve.

Irihapeti Ramsden was a key architect of cultural safety in nursing. She was a game-changer who worked tirelessly with Māori and non-Māori to improve service delivery for Māori, and consequently, for all people. She was an innovator and trailblazer.

So, how has cultural safety changed (if at all), and what are the roles of non-Māori in creating culturally safe organisations and practices? I sat down with Dr Heather Came-Friar and Claire Doole to explore this issue — two Pākehā public health experts. I wanted to see what our cousins in public health can share with us as public educationalists.

Kei ngā ringa tōhaunui, kei te mihi atu ki a kōrua tahi. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me about cultural safety. In your work, what does “cultural safety” mean?

Heather: When I think of cultural safety I think of Irihapeti Ramsden and her work in nursing. The idea has changed form over years. It’s different in different places. There’s pockets of excellence, and pockets of horror!

In public health, we don’t talk much about “cultural safety”. We talk more about a Treaty partnership or relationship, and cultural and political competencies. For us, it’s about power — noticing power, and how power is transferred via Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Claire: Like Heather, my understandings of cultural safety come from Irihapeti Ramsden. I’ve also been influenced by transcultural nursing and critical social theory.

Basically, nurses need to reflect on their position and power. But it’s impossible to reflect on one’s power and position without humility and curiosity. This is cultural safety. When professionals recognise their own power and culture, it prepares them to work with the subtle cues of diversity. It helps people understand, affirm, and check their assumptions about the cultural context of people who differ from themselves.

Recently, while working with Māori and non-Māori on educational projects, I listened to several Pākehā say that they felt “culturally unsafe” when they’ve been challenged by Māori. What struck me was this paradox: by attempting to create cultural safety, it can be unsafe for some. How would you respond to this type of experience?

Claire: Cultural safety and discussions about the Treaty between health professionals isn’t a time for safety — it’s a time for risk (for Pākehā)! When we, as Pākehā, are challenged we can become defensive — this is a human reaction. When I’ve been seriously challenged, I’ve had to work through my defensiveness.

I would say, Pākehā just have to bear with it — it’ll be ok. Naming things make a difference. If I can’t name a problem, then who is going to? Everyone has to bring their best emotional intelligence to the table, and understand that emotional expression in one culture is not the same in another. If things go off track, go back to basic conversations — stuff that isn’t loaded. This helps build the rapport. The work of Stephen Covey has been helpful for me.

Heather: Some of this work is uncomfortable — this is part of learning. We don’t always set it up to be uncomfortable. Part of the challenge is that sometimes things may have happened in the past, which triggers people. The challenge here is to enter into dialogue and stick with it.

I find going back to basic principles of facilitation — ground rules, timeout, dialogue — useful here. Basically, there needs to be goodwill and trust. If these things are broken or dysfunctional it’s really hard. I believe that, as a group Pākehā, have a dysfunctional relationship with Māori. The challenge is to find common ground and support people to heal on both sides.

So, if the challenge is to support people to build good projects for both Māori and non-Māori, what tips do you have for individuals and organisations to do this?

What non-Māori individuals can do engage positively with Māori: Find out what the goals are; listen, observe… then offer practical help; create reciprocal relationships; stick with it!

Claire: Firstly, I know that I don’t know. So, I decided that if I wanted to build a relationship with Māori I needed to be useful. This meant I followed Māori goals and protocols in that place. It isn’t about me setting the goals and asking them to contribute. If I sat and listened, then I could hear. This was incredibly powerful and humbling. If I was useful I’d stay in the picture longer.

I work closely with a Māori colleague, and I profoundly respect her opinions. We now have a very successful relationship — we model the relationship in public. We value each other’s input. We listen to each other. We don’t second guess one another. I’ve learnt not to act on instinct. I now ask her before I act. Respect is at the bottom of it.

Heather: Take the opportunities to engage — accept invitations. Take the opportunity to listen. I’ve been lucky to have mentors, like Whaea Makere Wano and others. She guided me. I would go with her to wānanga and just park my own stuff, and listen with an open heart. This helps be an effective ally.

It’s about reciprocal relationships generally. We respect, trust, care, and maintain dialogue with each other. The gel is taking the time to trust each other. The ToW preamble – it’s about whanaungatanga – stay in there. Don’t be scared off. We’re all learners, and I’ll be a learner until I’m an old lady.

What non-Māori organisations can do engage positively with Māori: Think about systems change, hierarchies, and where power lies; create shared values & vision; recognise Māori intelligence; make a resourced plan.

Claire: The assumption behind cultural safety was that, if nurses know how to work in culturally safe ways, then things will change; if nurses enact this, then eventually we will have systems change. But this ignores the hierarchy of an organisation. Even if people have the best of intentions, they get overwhelmed. Nurses and teachers don’t hold all the power — despite our relationship with patients — none of that counts as you go further up the hierarchy.

Organisations need to come back to shared values. Until organisations have walked along the path and are clear with each other — you can’t take the next step. If you’re not clear about mutual values, then things won’t work. If you’re clear about the values, things will fall into place.

Heather: Creating culturally safe organisations is a powerful opportunity to recognise Māori intelligence. If people with power and authority don’t embrace Māori intelligence, the other parts of the organisation won’t. In general, Pākehā don’t seem to trust Māori.

So, leaders need to affirm and not marginalise Māori knowledges. This means being sharp and ensuring Māori can develop programmes that work for Māori. Have a shared vision for the kaupapa, and then make a plan and define the steps. It’s about building and maintaining relationships, reflecting on work-plans, sharing power and resources.

Tēnā anō kōrua! Thanks again for your work, determination, and willingness to share what you’ve been learning along the way.

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student engaging with technology

Hangarau Matihiko — E tipu e rea

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Anaru White
E tipu e rea mō ngā rā o tō ao
Ko tō ringa ki ngā rākau a te Pākehā
Hei ora mō te tinana
Ko tō ngākau ki ngā taonga a ō tīpuna Māori
Hei tikitiki mō tō māhunga
Ko tō wairua ki tō atua, nāna nei ngā mea katoa
— Tā Apirana Ngata
Grow and branch forth for the days destined to you
Your hands to the tools of the Pākehā for the welfare of your body
Your heart to the treasures of your ancestors as adornments for your brow
Your spirit to God, who made all things
— Sir Apirana Ngata

Digital technologies in 2018

While holding fast to tradition, Māori have long embraced technologies, whether they have been used in the whare or on the marae to nourish, create shelter, warmth, and protection for their people. Travel forward to today — more and more kura are also embracing the potential that modern technologies can bring to learning in kura, in the whare, and on the marae.

In 2018, digital technologies will be recognised as a whenu within the Hangarau Wāhanga Ako. Learning in digital technologies will link to learning across all Wāhanga Ako in Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. To support kura with this, CORE Education’s Arareo Māori team piloted the Hangarau Matihiko ā-Takiwā (HMāT) project. This is part of the MOE’s Strengthening Digital Technologies initiative, and one of nine projects. This project is designed to involve kura in Digital Fluency and build the possibilities afforded to our tamariki with Hangarau Matihiko, and what is already working well in our kura. There are three distinct outcomes for this project:

  1. Raising the level of confidence and competence of kaiako and whānau to provide digital learning experiences with a Māori worldview and with facilitation in te reo Māori
  2. Strengthen the engagement between kura, kaiako, and whānau
  3. Gather data from participants to evaluate the specific project objective, which is bringing kura and whānau together for learning purposes.

Why? The benefits?

  • De-mystify learning associated with hangarau matihiko
  • Inspire other kura to participate/engage
  • Awareness of the possibilities of learning with digital technologies
  • Students and whānau learn together — ako.

Snapshot of the pūrākau at a kura involved in the HMāT project

Here’s a snapshot of one of the pūrākau at a kura involved in the HMāT project.

Me mahi tahi te kura, te whānau, te hapū, te iwi me te hapori.

By inviting the whole whānau (kaiako, ākonga, and whānau) into the HMāT project, we were able to support whānau engagement in teaching and learning, thus strengthening digital fluency across the kura. The holistic approach of inviting whānau into the process ensured these key outcomes (supporting whānau engagement and growing digital fluency) were met.

teaching in the Hangarau Matihiko ā-Takiwā project

The approach used was to facilitate a full day of learning in the kura, using a range of hangarau matihiko with a group of senior ākonga. The focus was contextualised, as the upcoming new classroom build for the kura meant ākonga were also invited to design their new classroom. The programme design was co-constructed with kura, and was identified as the most effective use of PLD time with the facilitators. Senior ākonga were chosen to work on the project, as they would be able to teach the other ākonga, and it also fitted into their current topics for learning. The following were identified as being crucial to the success of the day:

  • Feedback from both ākonga and kaiako indicated that ākonga thoughts on what Hangarau Matihiko was, had expanded. For example, one ākonga initially talked about learning and the internet at the beginning of the day, and then realised Hangarau Matihiko was much more than they originally thought.
  • As the facilitators introduced new concepts and elements of Hangarau Matihiko, ākonga could identify new opportunities and include them in their new classroom plans.

student learning digital technology

The ākonga had plenty of exploration time with the hangarau matihiko and, as a result, ākonga could identify the opportunities and demonstrate these to each other. The approach taken was driven by the authentic context of the new build the kura was about to start planning for. This empowered ākonga (with a variety of different learning styles) to engage and work independently or in groups. One ākonga confessed being a “non-engager” and, because of the day, was now working with his peers a lot better and completing his work.

Engagement levels were high and ākonga showed enjoyment of their mahi and were on task all day. At lunch time, half the ākonga didn’t want to have kai; they stayed and finished their projects despite being encouraged to have a break.

whanau hui

A whānau hui took place at night at the local marae to coincide with the HmāT visit. This was an opportunity for the ākonga to share their learning from the day. Ākonga spoke about what they had learned, such as using robotics, animations and design thinking, and how they had applied this to their completed designs for the new build. A sense of pride was visible, and one ākonga went so far as to ask a friend to attend so he could share his learning.

The crucial part was that whānau were heard and had the opportunity to see what their tamariki had learned during this experience. They could see the excitement on their faces, and were able to ask questions and get some answers. For example, one question was about the isolation of the community and whether this was a barrier to access further learning and employment opportunities. The opportunities —now the kura and area has access to fibre — were discussed, and how this connectivity is starting to overcome this barrier.

The biggest challenge the HMāT team faced, was to make the most of the limited face-to-face time with the kura. The desire to make the most of the face-to-face opportunity was to the fore in the programme design for the day. The design and goals of this project helped to overcome this challenge by ensuring we tailored learning experiences based on what we knew about the ākonga.

The whānau hui highlighted the success of the day and the value of this project. It was also an opportunity to share new learning led by the ākonga. Tumuaki also spoke about the use of hangarau matihiko at the kura. The HMāT team also talked about the many opportunities of the kaupapa as stated by the ākonga.

In our work with kura, we have identified several challenges and opportunities that can further enhance ākonga and kaiako use of digital learning technologies into the future. In general, these challenges and opportunities include:

  • Develop culturally appropriate methods of understanding how digital technologies impact on ākonga and whānau learning.
  • Ensure equitable access to high-quality and relevant reo and tikanga Māori digital resources for kaiako, ākonga, and whānau. This includes sourcing and designing digital mediums platforms that can be linked to curriculum areas and the diversity of the Māori medium sector; and
  • Provide ongoing and tailored professional learning and development opportunities to assist kura to initiate, embed, and sustain effective Māori-medium content, pedagogy, and infrastructure.

Resources

CORE Education Māori Resources: Kīwaha, Whakataukī and Te Whānau Pū Cards

CORE Education’s Arareo Māori team provides several products and services to cater for kura, schools and private and public organisations. This includes professional development, te reo Māori consultancy, publications, research and events. Ki te hiahia whakapā mai, tuku īmēra ki arareomaori@core-ed.org.
arareo maori team

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