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Mātauranga Māori
Some 700 years ago, using the stars and ocean currents as navigational guides, the explorer Kupe ventured across the Pacific in his waka hourua (sailing waka) from his ancestral Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki, and discovered Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. The connection to this land, and a need to survive and prosper, encouraged those early settlers to develop knowledge and to find systems of learning to suit these far-flung islands. This mātauranga (knowledge) and tikanga (cultural principles) are indigenous and endemic, and they are a taonga (treasure) for us all.
The curriculum we offer at Diocesan is one that serves to expand knowledge and capabilities for life beyond school. As our students move into the wide world, and into their adult lives, they will need to be confident in the diverse communities of Aotearoa if they are to make decisions that might positively contribute to our country. We must ensure that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is understood and is woven into our public discourse, and as we become increasingly aware of our own history it becomes evident that our future prosperity will rest upon greater enlightenment.
In a wide range of academic, professional and social contexts, Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) is becoming increasingly well represented. There is a greater need for tomorrow’s leaders to have a deeper understanding of tikanga and te reo Māori (Māori language). We are ambitious that our girls will be prepared to lead on social issues and contribute towards building a more equitable society. We want to create a space for students to hear the voice and stories of those who are not often heard and to foster understanding of the root cause of social disparities, and meaningfully consider how they might be reconciled. Our young country has such growth ahead of it.
In 2021 we will be launching our Mātauranga Māori programme to all students in Year 7 and Year 8, and in 2022 expand to include Year 9 and Year 10. Our students will all have the opportunity to learn alongside our experienced kaiako (teachers) in the school wharenui, immersing themselves in Te Ao Māori.
Mātauranga Māori is a programme designed to educate learners of a Māori worldview and indigenous knowledge systems. The purpose of this course is to give the students a deeper understanding of Aotearoa, as well as decoding the stories, values and beliefs that shape the culture. Māori culture is an integral part of Kiwi life and is the unique, dynamic and foundational element to
“Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi.”
“With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.”
the national identity of New Zealanders. Having a deeper understanding of the nation’s first peoples will strengthen our identity and help us to authentically and sincerely embrace the many diverse cultures of Aotearoa today.
Four strands of learning are woven across the year levels to progressively build knowledge and understanding. This programme will be delivered from a Māori perspective and in Englishspeaking schools represents a first in New Zealand secondary schools. The programme draws upon Te Marautanga o Aotearoa curriculum and the teaching philosophy of Tātaiako.
Te Ao Māori will grow an understanding of how ideas, values and stories are communicated through art, oral traditions, karakia, waiata, poi, haka, moteatea (traditional chants) and whakatauki (proverbs). In Mana Taonga, students will learn of taonga in all its forms, about the characteristics and actions of kaitiaki (guardians) in accordance with kōrero tuku iho (oral traditions) and how these stories, values and ideas are carried out as tikanga in the community. Te Ao Hurihuri will focus on a historical case study and identify the current impact on Māori
“Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou.”
“Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing.”
society today. Students will learn about the Treaty principles and the process of reconciliation and claims settlement through the Waitangi Tribunal, while also learning about the role of affirmative action initiatives to rebuild communities. In Tangata Whenua, we will teach an understanding of Māori communities through various topics, such as navigation stories, marae traditions, local iwi and key Māori leaders.
Diocesan School for Girls takes great pride in offering a rich curriculum in which meaningful learning takes place. Over the last two years, we have taken on the challenge to better incorporate Te Ao Māori into all that we do. Many of our teachers have undertaken language and tikanga programmes through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and we have had a focus on integrating Mātauranga Māori into the curriculum areas across our community of learning. We know that if we wish our students to lead, we must walk alongside them in their learning, for we are on this great journey together.
TEACHER PROFILES Ashley Pīhema
He uri tēnei nō Ngāti Kahu ki Awanui Ngāti Whātua ki te Kaipara Ngā Puhi ki Whangaroa Ngāi Tahu ki Te Waipounamu me Ngāti Pākeha. Nō Aotearoa, Engarangi Kōtirana me Tiamana ngā tūpuna.
Ashley is the teacher-in-charge of Te Reo Māori in the Senior School and has been in the role at Diocesan Girls for nearly eight years. Her academic background is in the arts, majoring in criminology and Māori studies. Ashley has been working with the team to build the Mātauranga Māori strategy for the School community. She is committed to the development of cultural competency and creating learning opportunities that foster socially progressive outcomes.
Kali Haenga
Ko Hikurangi me Kirieke ngā maunga Ko Waiapu me Wairuru ngā awa Ko Ngāti Porou me te Whānau-aApanui ngā iwi
Kali is a proficient and native speaker of Te Reo Māori. She was brought up on the East Coast, immersed in Kura Kaupapa Māori and bilingual school environments. Kali heads the language and kapahaka initiatives for the Junior School at Diocesan. She is passionate about the culture and sharing it with those around her. Kali cultivates a positive and dynamic learning environment for her students.
Cydel Peters
He uri tēnei nō Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Whātua, Tainui, Rereahu, me Kōtirana Ko Tongariro me Pureora ngā maunga Ko Taupō-nui-a-Tia te moana Ko Waikato te awa Ko Te Heuheu te tangata Tīhei Mauri Ora!
From left to right: Ashley Pihema, Cydel Peters and Kali Haenga
“Seek and discover. Discover and know. Know and become enlightened.”
Cydel was brought up in Taumarunui in the King Country by her grandmother. This is where she learnt her Māori language and Māori tikanga, as she was on the marae nearly every day with her grandmother and was schooled in kura kaupapa. Cydel also has an academic background in sports, physical education and health. She has been the Head of the Māori Department at Epsom Girls’ Grammar for over three years and recently worked for Māori television. Cydel is very pleased to be starting her new career at Dio as the new Mātauranga Māori teacher.
World Vision’s Chris Clarke
World Vision & REEMI visit Dio
In preparation for the external examination, our Year 13 health science and psychology classes have been examining the international issue of poverty. A main focal area of learning has been why poverty and poor health are inextricably linked, and the role that the determinants of health may play in further exacerbating health inequities.
In order to consolidate our learning, we were fortunate enough to have World Vision CEO Chris Clarke and the social enterprise REEMI share their knowledge and experience on this international health issue.
During the presentation, Chris gave us an insight into the work of World Vision and the processes the organisation goes through to develop communities affected by poverty. He related first-hand experiences of communities that he has worked with and the strategies used to promote better health and wellbeing through education, infrastructure, resources and forming partnerships. In a recent interview, Chris Clarke stated: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve for the past seven and a half years as CEO of World Vision New Zealand. It has been a job that I have loved, because of the work we do transforming the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children, the inspirational people who work for World Vision, and the hundreds of thousands of generous Kiwis who do what they can to make a real difference in the lives of so many across the globe.”
REEMI is a fantastic example of just one World Vision partnership. It is an organisation formed by two young, inspirational females who discovered that approximately 8095% of Bangladeshi women don’t use sanitary products because they are unaffordable or inaccessible. Instead, many women use cloth or torn sari known as ‘nekra’. Another study reported that 73% of Bangladeshi factory workers missed an average of six days of work per month (resulting in unpaid days) due to infections caused by unhygienic menstrual cloth or rags. Through their collective work in health care and international development, Emily and Ashleigh (founders of REEMI) knew that women’s health was not being prioritised and they wanted to do something about it by starting a social enterprise so that every person could have access to menstrual health education and sustainable, culturally appropriate and affordable menstrual products. All their profit goes towards achieving this goal.
We are so grateful for the time Chris, Emily and Ashleigh took to speak to the health science and psychology classes; they left us feeling inspired, contemplating what part we may play in our futures to create strategies that would give equitable health outcomes for all, adhering to Chris’s underlying message that “our playing small does not serve the world”.
