1
Guide to support Kaiako and Ākonga Engagement with Ngā
Taonga Tuku Iho o Te Takere o Te Arawa Waka
in the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculums.
Purpose of this guide: The purpose of this guide is to support Kaiako who are new to teaching Māori Histories, to take an approach of engaging with taonga tuku iho that reflects their obligations and responsibilities under He Whakaputanga and Te Tīriti o Waitangi. This document is not intended to be exhaustive, authoritative or to replace guidance provided directly by the kaitiaki or descent groups connected to specific taonga. Instead, it offers a process of care and a place to start for those who may not be familiar with the tikanga, principles and concepts that should be considered when engaging with taonga tuku iho.
Position Statement: We consider a Te Tīriti honouring approach for Kaiako and Kura teaching our histories to be one that recognises the tino rangatiratanga that iwi, hapū and whānau have with respect to their taonga and associated mātauranga Engagement with taonga tuku iho needs to be age appropriate, informed by tikanga and mātauranga, as well as sanctioned and guided by those with whakapapa connections to the taonga It requires Kaiako, as employees of a Crown Agency, to be cognisant of their Te Tīriti o Waitangi obligations to respect and actively protect the tino rangatiratanga of Tangata Whenua in relation to their taonga
Year 11-13 (draft)
By Year 6
By
Year 3
Origins. Arrival. Settlement.
Migration.
Mai Maketū ki Tongariro.
Taunahanahanaming and claiming narratives of Te Arawa Tūrangawaewae
Waka Voyaging. Adapting to a new land (eg. technologies and tools).
Connection to the environment.
Formation and migration of Hapū and Iwi.
Narratives and taonga that have shaped culture and identity.
Traditional economies and trade.
Te Arawa and Te Tīriti o Waitangi.
By Year 8
Contact narratives.
Te Arawa and the Missionaries.
Urban migration. Responses to disruption of te reo, tikanga and values.
Assertions of tino rangatiratanga.
Mana in political and economic interactions.
Connection with place. Naming the land and its features.
Kaitiakitanga of Te Taiao.
By Year 10
Diminishing of mana Māori by the Crown.
Assertions of Tino Rangatiratanga.
The Price of Citizenshipremembering and honouring the involvement of Te Arawa in international conflicts.
Te Arawa and the Waitangi Tribunal (process and settlement).
Collective action to protect Te Taiao
Significance of historical places, people, and events.
Understandings of and engagement with mana in shaping the past.
How places of significance such as wāhi tapu can be remembered and commemorated differently over time.
Tūrangawaewae, whakapapa, and whanaungatanga in shaping tuakiri.
The role of ngā taonga tuku iho, including pūrākau and pakiwaitara, in constructing and sustaining historical narratives.
The importance of tino rangatiratanga in the actions of people in the past.
How tikanga has evolved in response to and as a part of history
Kaitiakitanga in relation to a historical study of place.
Apply an understanding of whakapapa as a critical tool with which to analyse the past.
Examine kotahitanga in the past.
Examine colonisation as an ongoing historical force.
What are Taonga Tuku Iho? Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho encompass all tangible and intangible taonga including mātauranga, oral traditions, art and artefacts. Tangata Whenua are the kaitiaki and experts of their own taonga and so their mana should be deferred to in terms of determining when, where, who and what of their taonga are shared and how they are taught. We therefore strongly encourage Kaiako and Kura to work deliberately on building their cultural capabilities while fostering reciprocally beneficial relationships with their local tangata whenua in order to deepen their understanding of taonga tuku iho in ways that are locally relevant.
Kaitiakitanga: When teaching about taonga tuku iho, Kaiako are required to take on a “duty of care'' - a responsibility to protect and preserve the wellbeing and integrity of all involved as well as that of the taonga, associated kōrero and language This approach recognises that, through facilitating the learning about taonga alongside tangata whenua, Kaiako will become part of the process of conveying the significance of taonga for past, present and future generations This document contends that such a duty of care could be enacted through an engagement process drawn from the principle of Āta and through a shared understanding of interconnected guiding principles that prioritise the wellbeing of all involved.
APPLYING THE PRINCIPLE OF ĀTA IN THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
Drawing from Taina Pohatu’s (2013) groundbreaking work in Health with Āta,2 the taonga engagement process outlined below is designed to: guide behaviour, intensify perceptions, demand effort and energy, convey respect and reciprocity and encourage reflection, as Kaiako navigate their mandated responsibility to foster a genuine understanding of our diverse experiences of Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories. Engaging through the principle of Āta “signals the act of moving with an awareness of relationships, their significance and requirements” Pohatu (2013) and can serve to protect the integrity and wellbeing of mātauranga, taonga, kaitiaki, te reo Māori, learning stakeholders and their relationships with each other.
ĀTA ELEMENT : EXPLANATION :
❖ Āta-haere (deliberate and intentional preparation)
❖ Āta-whakarongo (consulting with community)
❖ Āta-mahi (researching)
❖ Āta-noho (collaborating with Kaitiaki)
❖ Āta-whakaako (facilitating knowledge and understanding)
❖ Āta-whakamārama (reporting back/ evaluating / next steps)
Kaiako undertake preparatory development in the mātauranga required to facilitate appropriate engagement with taonga tuku iho This includes positioning oneself as a learner, exercising humility, applying a critical lens, building Te Reo Māori proficiency, and developing an understanding of guiding principles and appropriate tikanga
Positioned as a learner, Kaiako carefully listen as they engage with their tangata whenua in a power sharing process Ākonga, whānau and hapū be are to be parties in determining what contexts are to be examined and what taonga could be engaged with to explore the significant learning
Kaiako are proactive in researching and learning about the whakapapa and associated mātauranga of the selected taonga and their ākonga, guided by the materials that may be available from whānau, hapū, kaitiaki, cultural owners or descent groups of the selected taonga
Kaiako give quality time to engage in building authentic, mutually beneficial and collaborative relationships with the kaitiaki, cultural owners or descent groups connected to the selected taonga in order to inform appropriate engagement and create safe, authentic and empowering learning experiences.
Kaiako work diligently to facilitate high quality learning and support a deep and connected understanding. The employment of culturally sustaining, place based, experiential pedagogies are critically important.
Kaiako deliberately facilitates ākonga, whānau and hapū feedback and feedforward on taonga engagement This is received humbly and with intent to engage in an iterative process of improvement The involvement of, and transparency with, Kaitiaki of taonga in this process is not only tika, but will serve to foster the trust and mutual respect necessary to support ongoing reciprocity and deeper understandings in the future
2 ADAPTED from Pohatu, T W (2013) Āta Ata: Journal of Psychotherapy Aotearoa New Zealand, 17(1), 13-26 Retrieved from: https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/ata/index.php/ata/article/download/121/101
SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO CONSIDER
TE TĪRITI O WAITANGI
This requires Kaiako to be cognisant of their Te Tīriti relationship obligation to protect the tino rangatiratanga of Tangata Whenua in relation to their taonga. When teaching about taonga tuku iho, Kaiako are accordingly required to defer to the mana of Tangata Whenua in determining how and where taonga are engaged with. Kaiako should take on a “duty of care'' - a responsibility to protect and preserve the wellbeing and integrity of all involved, including the taonga and associated kōrero.
KAITIAKITANGA
This is about the “duty of care” of those in a custodial role with respect to the taonga and mātauranga being engaged with. This requires that those engaging with the taonga are well informed and educated about the taonga and appropriate tikanga so that they are working from the basis of mātauranga in order to care for and help sustain the wellbeing of the taonga and all involved going forward.
TAPU
Because taonga carry mauri, mana is present which means the taonga may be in a state of tapu. Therefore, the observance of appropriate karakia and whakanoa processes are vital components of working appropriately and safely with taonga tuku iho.
WHAKAPAPA MANA
Understanding the whakapapa of the taonga, the whakapapa of the kaitiaki and the whakapapa of the ākonga engaging with the taonga, is an essential component of ensuring that the cultural safety and integrity of the mātauranga, and all those involved, is preserved.
WHANAUNGATANGA
The importance of nurturing reciprocal, positive relationships with ākonga, whānau, hapū and iwi is paramount to ensure the engagement with taonga tuku iho is done in a way that is authentic, relevant, tika and pono.
TINO RANGATIRATANGA
This speaks to the authority of Tangata Whenua in relation to their taonga. Affirmed by Te Tīriti, recognition of the authority tangata whenua have over their own taonga should manifest in the Kaiako deferring to their mana, their whakapapa connection and their aspirations in this space.
MANAAKITANGA
Aroha atu, aroha mai. This refers to ensuring that Kaiako and Kura appropriately extend aroha (manaaki) to the experts they collaborate with when designing learning that engages with taonga. Manaakitanga manifests your appreciation and acknowledgement of their mana, their whakapapa and their mātauranga in this space. It fosters whanaungatanga and supports the continuity of connection and reciprocity moving forward.
This refers to the mana that is present in the taonga as well as the mana of the kaitiaki of the taonga. This speaks to the status, control and influence that those with whakapapa connections have in relation to their taonga. It also speaks to the empowering potential that exists within the learning about taonga when it is conducted in a way that is tika and pono.
MAURI
Kaiako need to be cognisant that taonga possess mauri connecting the taonga to the kinship group who created it. Engagement with taonga can be triggering as some people, particularly kin to the taonga, can be sensitive to and affected by the mauri carried within the taonga. Kaiako also need to be cognisant of their own energy and what they are bringing into the taonga learning space.
TIKA(NGA) / PONO
This refers to the practices, approaches, positioning and mindsets that generate authentic, valid and honest engagement with taonga and their uri. An approach that is tika and pono is an approach done with genuine intent, respect, humility and integrity
TŪMANAKOTANGA
Being aware and proactively supportive of the self-determined aspirations that whānau, hapū and iwi have for their ākonga, their people, their taonga and the future is a powerful way to honour Te Tiriti in this space. In part, this could look like Kaiako familiarising themselves with the relevant Iwi Education Strategy documents and being deliberate in their planning to support the espoused aspirations of their local tangata whenua in the education space.
This guide is the product of a collaboration between Rangitihi Pene (Te Aka Mauri), Rangitiaria Tibble (Te Taumata o Ngāti Whakaue), Manaaki Pene (Curator - Te Whare Taonga o Rotorua), Dominique Chandler and Taupopoki George McLeod (Education Team - Te Whare Taonga o Rotorua) and Kārena Ngata (New Zealand History Teachers’ Association) to support and guide appropriate engagement with Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho by Kaiako and Ākonga in English mediums settings in the Rotorua district as part of their implementation of the ANZHC and NCEA Histories Curriculums
GLOSSARY OF MĀORI TERMS FROM TE AKA MĀORI
DICTIONARY
The meanings of key concepts and terms in Te Reo Māori can be complex and varied. This glossary from Te Aka Māori Online Dictionary as a place to start We strongly encourage Kaiako and Kura to seek guidance from experts, particularly their mana whenua, in order to deepen their understanding of key concepts, terms and guiding principles
ākonga student, pupil, learner, protégé.
āta gently, slowly, carefully, clearly, deliberately, purposefully, intentionally, openly, thoroughly, cautiously, intently, quite - stands before verbs to indicate care, deliberation or thoroughness in carrying out the activity.
hapū kinship group, clan, tribe, subtribe
iwi extended kinship group, tribe, nation, people, nationality, race
kaiako teacher, instructor
kaitiakitanga guardianship, stewardship, trusteeship, trustee
kōrero to tell, say, speak, read, talk, address.
kotahitanga Māori Parliament, Federated Māori Assembly - a movement for self-government and national unity among Māori kinship groups during the 19th Century.
mana prestige, authority, control, power, influence, status, spiritual power, charisma
mātauranga knowledge, wisdom, understanding, skill
rangatiratanga chieftainship, right to exercise authority, chiefly autonomy, chiefly authority, ownership, leadership of a social group, domain of the rangatira, noble birth, attributes of a chief.
tangata whenua local people, hosts, indigenous people
taonga tuku iho heirloom, something handed down, cultural property, heritage
taunahanaha to claim land repeatedly, claim land by naming
taiao world, Earth, natural world, environment, nature, country.
tikanga correct procedure, custom, habit, lore, method, manner, rule, way, code, meaning, plan, practice, convention, protocol
tino rangatiratanga self-determination, sovereignty, autonomy, self-government, domination, rule, control, power
tuakiri person, personality, identity
tūrangawaewae domicile, standing, place where one has the right to stand - place where one has rights of residence and belonging through kinship and whakapapa
wāhi tapu sacred place, sacred site - a place subject to long-term ritual restrictions on access or use
whakapapa genealogy, genealogical table, lineage, descent
whānau extended family, family group
whanaungatanga relationship, kinship, sense of family connection
Pūrākau are a traditional form of Māori narrative, containing philosophical thought, epistemological constructs, cultural codes and world views. Pūrākau…were deliberate constructs employed to encapsulate and condense into easily understood forms, Māori views of the world, of ultimate reality and the relationship between the atua (deities), the universe and humans. In traditional Māori society, pūrākau were fundamental to understanding the world. This is contrary to the widespread belief in the science and wider community that the numerous collections of pūrākau are just myths, ancient legends, incredible stories and folklore.
D. Hikuroa (2017) Mātauranga Māori—the ūkaipō of knowledge in New Zealand, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 47:1, 5-10, DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2016.1252407