Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Te Tiriti O Waitangi

By Michelle Adams

Te Tiriti o Waitangi gave tangata whenua (Māori people) Rangatiratanga and Pakeha and other tuaiwi were given rights to protect the treaty known as tangata titriti.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Although we have three Treaty’s, there is only one Tiriti.
The text in Te Reo takes precedence not only because the majority of signatures are on it but also because in oral cultures such as Maori, verbal agreements take preference over what is written. Also, in International Law, when two documents conflict, where there is any ambiguity, the contra proferentem principle applies which means that a decision is made against the party that drafts the document and the indigenous language text takes preference.
Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori The Māori Language Act 2016, section 12, Interpretation of Act generally records: (2) The Māori and English versions of this Act are of equal authority, but in the event of a conflict in meaning between the 2 versions, the Māori version prevails.(Network Waitangi Otautahi Nov 2018)

Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed on the 6 February 1840 at Waitangi by Hobson and Rangatira therefore this should be the one that takes precedence. This was the one presented to the majority of Rangatira across Aotearoa. The different versions translated into English and the conflicting interpretations delivered all around the nation is what has caused ongoing conflict to this present day.

The Treaty of Waitangi, Crowns English version was made widely known and is why it is the Treaty we know of and is referred to today. The information given to gain signatory was inconsistent and often in Māori and as there were three different versions transcribed 8 times, the meaning portrayed was quite different. As a direct result of mis information being promulgated through not only the signing but up and into  today. It is clear that we need to do more to educate the people of Aotearoa around these issues before we can begin to form common ground and to move forward as a bicultural, multicultural country.

The intention of the treaty was to serve as a finite contract to  provide direction for future growth and development. It is the foundation for a developing social contract. (Waitangi Tribunal, 1987)

This disconnect for me re Te Tiriti o Waitangi is it is not the founding document that we have been educated about. We as Pakeha and Tauiwi have come to know The Treaty of Waitangi as being. Until now I was unaware that I was tangata tiriti. That means something to me as
Pakeha. I am not a New Zealand European, I am Pakeha, (white person) my forebears agreed to be the backbone (Tangata Tauiwi)  to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Tauiwi: Someone who has no tribal affiliation to the land of Aotearoa.

How does this relate to education today?

 What are the challenges we face today?
Educational Documents being published but not administered in schools
Overcome bias regarding The Treaty of Waitangi and draw attention to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Largely caused by media coverage -
Overcome ignorance
Why do I need to care, no one gave me anything?

To identify with our own personal culture
To implement manaakitanga and whanaungatanga into our daily lives
To learn about bicultural Aotearoa
To give mana to Te Tiriti o Waitangi within our place of teaching and learning
To honor all that is Maori
To build appreciation for Aotearoa and all the people who live within it through and everything that is Maori.

So how does tino rangatiratanga align with education when research shows it has been neglected in the current westernised education system.

The western education system has not valued the Maori world view. Their voice has not been heard nor their beliefs understood. Success has been judged based solely on a westernised perspective. Glynn T (2015).

So what is the Maori view of education?
Tino Rangatiratanga - The Principle of Self-determination
Tino Rangatiratanga relates to sovereignty, autonomy, control, self-determination and independence. The notion of Tino Rangatiratanga asserts and reinforces the goal of Kaupapa Māori initiatives: allowing Māori to control their own culture, aspirations and destiny.

Tino rangatiratanga: This principle includes “the right to determine one’s own destiny”. As a result, parents and children are involved in decision-making processes.

So under Kaupapa Maori education we would see a large community influence with a shared vision and aspirations. Teaching is largely done in groups following a tuakana teina model where children learn through watching and doing from others. The sharing of knowledge being passed down through whanau with a holistic approach and a focus on wellbeing and having assessment reflect this. There is an expectation that knowledge shared is learnt at a mastery level. They are exposed to a wide range of oral literature with reciprocal learning about their past, culture and place.
Mana is upheld through this method of education. Taonga tuku iho (ancestral traditions), whakapapa ( genealogy)  and wairua (spirituality) maintained and through these teachings manaaki (kindness) tiaki (caring) and whakawhānaungatanga (relationships) is developed. Using whānau in the wider metropolis sense enables the application of traditional kingship to be applied to the learning establishment.

As educators we come under a code of Standards for Teaching Profession. Although our values define us as teachers we are required to provide evidence that we are meeting the teaching standards.

This is where there are clear links to Kaupapa Maori
We as teachers must empower all learners to reach their highest potential through providing high quality teaching and leadership. Whakamana
Create a welcoming and caring environment, treating everyone with respect and dignity. Manaakitanga
Showing integrity by acting in ways that are fair, honest, ethical and just. Pono
Build positive collaborative relationships with colleagues, students, whanau and the wider communities. Whanaungatanga

Within our code we are also to upheld Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We are expected to know it, understand it and know the implications of it across our practise. To foster learners to be active participants in community life and engage in issues important to the wellbeing of society. In a Maori medium education this is at the forefront of their education. In mainstream education to increase the academic success of Māori students educators need to develop and deploy a culturally relevant pedagogy. There is a belief that you have to be brown to be successful at this as it is a brown person's subject. I think it would fair to say and as I have shown above that our code suggests we already share similar views and with the range of research initiatives and teaching and assessment resources that have been developed by members of the Poutama Pounamu research whānau suggest one way to begin the journey towards such a pedagogy. Essential travelling companions for this journey are tino rangatiratanga, reciprocity, and connectedness. Glynn T. (2015)
Tātaiako is one of these resources and again you can see a strong link to Kaupapa Maori
It talks about building educational success through positive relationships with our Maori community. To have the whanau actively engaged in the learning and to show respect and integrity towards Maori beliefs. They use wananga, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, Ako, Tangata whenuatanga. Teachers need to make a link with Maori families to support the success of Maori learners as Maori. In my education establishment I see a variety of ways Kaupapa Maori is implemented. I would question the value placed on it. Immediate changes I can make would be to add a significant number of Maori culture to my room and learn its meaning. I can do this through involving my Maori community and turn my place of learning into a community of learning.

Ehara tenei toa i te toa takitahi
Engari ko tenei toa te toa takitini
Power does not belong to individuals alone.
Rather, it resides within the whole community.


Tātaiako and Te Tiriti O Waitangi in Education.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi gives sovereignty over education and Tātaiako are the how.
Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the Treaty link with the three Principles of Participation, Partnership and  Protection. Through the three principles we together ensure the mana of Maori is not lost and that they are fully engaged with all decision making and have shared power and control around policy and procedures. We have documents such as Ka Hikiata saying “culture counts”, know respect, and value where students are where they come from and building on what they bring with them (page 20)
To honor this document in education would seem quite simple. Know the learner, include the family and wider community in decision making around curriculum delivery and promote Maori culture through language, culture, history and place.
By understanding and having empathy for the human rights of indigenous peoples in their homelands, we will begin to walk the identity journeys of the ancestors that form the foundation for the diversity, and the continuing multiple diversities, that must be underpinned by the Treaty articles.
There is no “one-size fits all approach” to effectively apply the Treaty or achieve Māori educational wellbeing.

Maori and Pakeha are full tangata of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi






Further work to do

If Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the founding doc then why is all our reference to the Treaty, the Crowns version?
To fully understand the implications of principles and articles to teaching in Aotearoa
Cultural competent leaders
References

Education.govt April 27 2020
https://education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/assessment-for-learning/kei-tua-o-te-pae-2/bicultural-assessment-he-aromatawai-ahurea-rua/frameworks-for-bicultural-education-he-anga-mo-te-matauranga-ahurea-rua/

Education Review Office
https://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/the-new-zealand-curriculum-principles-foundations-for-curriculum-decision-making/findings/#successes-and-challenges-in-the-least-enacted-principles

Waikato Journal of Education Special 20th Anniversary Collection 2015
Te Hautaka Mātauranga o Waikato
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uU2fnuOXPKv2GK6JIseWEKXlDbbqNAQ0/view
Bicultural Challenges For Educational Professionals In Aotearoa by Ted Glynn
Read this article by Ted Glynn Bicultural Challenges For Educational Professionals In Aotearoa

Rangahau April 27 2020
http://www.rangahau.co.nz/research-idea/27/

School News
https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/2016/11/te-tiriti-o-waitangi-living-the-values/
TKI April 27 2020
https://temangoroa.tki.org.nz/Te-Mana-Korero-Online/Engaging-Maori-students/Key-research-evidence
https://www.inclusive.tki.org.nz/guides/supporting-maori-students/
https://www.inclusive.tki.org.nz/guides/developing-an-inclusive-classroom-culture/

Core Education 2018 April 27 2020
http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2018/02/treaty-based-multiculturalism-making-sense-of-diverse-new-zealand.html

Network Waitangi Otautahi  April 27 2020
https://nwo.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/NWO-Annual-Report-to-AGM-19Nov18.pdf

NZ National Commission UNESCO April 27 2020
https://unesco.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/treaty-of-waitangi-web-resource.pdf

Te Tiriti o Waitangi Living the Values https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/2016/11/te-tiriti-o-waitangi-living-the-values/

Bishop, R., & Glynn, T. (1997a). Achieving cultural integrity within education in New Zealand. In K. Cushner & R. Gagliardi (Eds.), International perspectives in intercultural education. New York, NY: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates

Ministry Of Education (2012) The New Zealand Curriculum Treaty of Waitangi principle, Wellington, NZ .
Potaka-Dewes, T. M. (2002).

Te Tiriti o Waitangi or The Treaty of Waitangi 1840: Interpretations of the tiriti/treaty.http://www.postcolonialweb.org/nz/dewes1.html

Waitangi, Network. (2016). Treaty of Waitangi: Questions and answers. Network Waitangi, Christchurch, New Zealand. http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/TreatyQ+A2016.pdf

Teaching about the Treaty - Some Critical Education in Practice in the Primary Classroom (2009) Tamsin Hanly
Faaea-Semeatu, A. (2018). Treaty-based multiculturalism: Making sense of diverse New Zealand. Retrieved 8 April 2018, from http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2018/02/treaty-based-multiculturalism-making-sense-of-diverse-new-zealand.html?utm_campaign=cultural18&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=7-feb-tt-aiono-blog%5B

Te Tiriti o
Waitangi

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Treaty of Waitangi principle: “The curriculum acknowledges the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
and the bicultural foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand. All students have the opportunity to acquire
knowledge of to reo Maori me ona tikanga.” (TKI)

The Treaty of Waitangi articles are as follows when applied to education:

Kāwanatanga — honourable governance (article 1):

Crown/schools to govern educational delivery in an equitable way.

Rangatiratanga — retaining sovereignty (article 2): Tangata whenua retain control over educational
delivery.

Ōritetanga — promote equity (article 3): Māori and non-Māori educational outcomes are comparable.

spoken promise — cultural/religious freedoms (article 4): There is cultural responsiveness and
competence supporting language, culture, and identity.

The Treaty of Waitangi principles put students at the centre of teaching and learning. The three “P’s”,
as they are often referred to, are the principles of

· partnership

· participation

· protection.

These underpin the relationship between the Government and Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi.
These principles are derived from the underlying tenets of the Treaty. They are used to bridge the gap
between the literal differences between the Māori and English texts.

Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013–2017 has ensured that the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
are applied in education and that the position of Māori is considered fairly when developing policies
and funding.

The Teaching Council has published two guidelines for teachers to adhere to:

(a) Tataiako: Cultural Competencies for teachers of Maori Learners

The competencies are:

Wänanga: participating with learners and communities in robust dialogue for the benefit of Mäori
learners’ achievement. Whanaungatanga: actively engaging in respectful working relationships with
Mäori learners, parents and whänau, hapü, iwi and the Mäori community.

Manaakitanga: showing integrity, sincerity and respect towards Mäori beliefs, language and culture.

Tangata Whenuatanga: affirming Mäori learners as Mäori. Providing contexts for learning where the
language, identity and culture of Mäori learners and their whänau is affirmed.

Ako: taking responsibility for their own learning and that of Mäori learners.

(b) Our Code Our standards

The values are:

Whakamana: empowering all learners to reach their highest potential by providing high-quality teaching
and leadership.

Manaakitanga: creating a welcoming, caring and creative learning environment that treats everyone
with respect and dignity.

Pono: showing integrity by acting in ways that are fair, honest, ethical and just.

Whanaungatanga: engaging in positive and collaborative relationships with our learners, their families
and whanau, our colleagues and the wider community.

What this means for the teaching profession:

Partnership involves:

· working together with iwi, hapū, whānau and Māori communities to develop strategies for
Māori education.

· Māori being involved at all levels of the education sector

· engaging with the Māori community

· having Māori representatives on boards of trustees

· being welcoming and having genuine relationships with our Māori community.

Participation involves:

· Emphasising positive Māori involvement at all levels of education, as expressed in NEG 9:
“Increased participation and success by Māori through the advancement of Māori educational
initiatives, including education in Te Reo Māori, consistent with the principles of the Treaty of
Waitangi.”

· working to strengthen home-school relationships

· Māori participating in school decision making

· School environment reflecting the biculturalism of Aotearoa

· aspirations of Māori whānau reflected in school planning

· equity for Māori

Protection involves:

· actively protecting Māori knowledge, interests, values, and other tāonga.

· Identity, language, and culture are important expressions of what it means to be a culturally
located learner”

· valuing, validating and protecting local knowledge (place-based learning)

· normalising te reo Māori learning and including tikanga school-wide equity for Māori

· Adding a Māori perspective to topics and inquiry is an opportunity for us to weave tikanga
and Māori view point into everyday situations.

What this means for my practice as a classroom teacher:

Key questions to consider:

• How do I incorporate the Treaty articles into my teaching practice, strategic planning, and educational leadership?
• What is my place within the collective responsibility as a nation to ensure that we continue to thrive
• as a nation with our bicultural history, our multicultural present, and our ever-increasing diverse future?
• It is only when the historical importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi — the partnership between Māori and the Crown — is acknowledged in all of its entirety, including how that applies to modern Aotearoa, that we will be able to entertain the very notion of Treaty-based multiculturalism.
• By understanding and having empathy for the human rights of indigenous peoples in their homelands, we will begin to walk the identity journeys of the ancestors that form the foundation for the diversity, and the continuing multiple diversities, that must be underpinned by the Treaty articles.

Partnership involves:

· Getting to know names in a timely manner

· Pronouncing names correctly.

· Ensuring that there a regular communication between school and home.

· Attempting to use Maori language in a natural way so that it becomes commonplace – “Morena” “ et tu”

· Knowing the cultural history of the local area.

Participation involves:

· Encouraging all student regardless of ethnicity or background.

· Allowing all students to access the extra tuition available in the Music Department.

· Maori musical terms on the walls.

· Maori artists and role models on the walls together with prominent New Zealanders who have made their mark locally, nationally, and internationally.

Protection involves:

· Offering student opportunities to study NZ musicians as part of their special topics.

Synthesised by Christine Rowe