Indigenous Rights Research Guide
Indigenous Rights Research Guide · Years 7–10
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions
- Investigate a social, historical, economic, or political question using evidence
- Analyse multiple perspectives on complex social issues
- Understand how historical and contemporary forces shape society and identity
- Evaluate the relevance of Māori concepts and frameworks to understanding social issues
Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria
- I use at least two different sources or perspectives in my investigation
- I can explain how historical events or processes connect to present-day conditions
- I can present a clear position supported by specific evidence
- I connect at least one Māori concept or value to the social issue I am investigating
"Ko au ko koe, ko koe ko au"
I am you and you are me — We are interconnected
Indigenous rights are human rights. Understanding these rights helps us build a more just society for everyone.
📜 Key Documents to Know
Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840)
Aotearoa's founding document. Established partnership between Māori and the Crown.
Key principles: Partnership, Protection, Participation
UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007)
International framework recognizing Indigenous peoples' rights globally.
Key rights: Self-determination, land, culture, language
Waitangi Tribunal Reports
Investigates Treaty breaches and recommends remedies. Over 100 reports since 1975.
Example: WAI 262 (Flora and Fauna)
📅 Key Events in Aotearoa
🔍 Research Investigation
Choose ONE of these research questions to investigate:
- How has Te Tiriti o Waitangi been honored and breached throughout NZ history?
- What can Aotearoa learn from Indigenous rights movements in other countries?
- How do Treaty settlements work, and do they achieve justice?
- Why was the Māori Land March significant, and what were its effects?
- How does the UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights apply in Aotearoa?
📝 Research Recording Template
My Research Question:
Source 1:
Title: _______________________________________________
Author/Organization: __________________________________
Date: ________________ Type: □ Website □ Book □ Video □ Other
Key information found:
Source 2:
Title: _______________________________________________
Author/Organization: __________________________________
Date: ________________ Type: □ Website □ Book □ Video □ Other
Key information found:
Source 3:
Title: _______________________________________________
Author/Organization: __________________________________
Date: ________________ Type: □ Website □ Book □ Video □ Other
Key information found:
🧠 Analysis Questions
1. What different perspectives exist on this issue?
2. What has changed over time, and what has stayed the same?
3. What are the ongoing challenges or unresolved issues?
4. What actions could help address these issues today?
📚 Reliable Sources
NZ History
nzhistory.govt.nz
Government history website
Waitangi Tribunal
waitangitribunal.govt.nz
Official reports and findings
Te Ara Encyclopedia
teara.govt.nz
Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Te Puni Kōkiri
tpk.govt.nz
Ministry for Māori Development
👩🏫 Teacher Notes
Curriculum Links: Social Studies Level 4-5, exploring how groups respond to injustice
Sensitive Content: This topic involves historical trauma. Ensure a safe classroom environment where all perspectives are respected.
Cultural Considerations:
- Consider inviting local iwi representatives to share their perspective
- Acknowledge that Māori students may have personal/family connections to these events
- Emphasize that understanding history helps us build a better future together
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Level 3–4: Investigate how historical, political, and economic processes shape societies; understand how people participate in communities to create change; analyse different perspectives on social, cultural, and environmental issues.
Level 3–4: Gather, evaluate, and synthesise information from multiple sources; construct well-reasoned arguments using evidence; communicate social science understanding clearly in written, oral, and visual forms.
Tuhia ōu whakaaro · Write Your Thoughts
Reflect on your learning. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
Social Sciences taught well in Aotearoa should be uncomfortable — because the history of this land is one in which Māori and other communities have faced injustice, and in which those injustices are not yet fully addressed. Mātauranga Māori offers frameworks for thinking about social change that go beyond Western political theory: the concept of tino rangatiratanga (self-determination), of kotahitanga (unity in purpose), of utu (reciprocity across time) — these are not abstract ideas but working tools for analysing how power has been distributed and how it might be redistributed more justly. Social Sciences that centres these frameworks gives students the analytical vocabulary to name what they see in the world and imagine what could be different.
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Resources already provided
This handout is designed to be used alongside other resources in the same unit. Related materials are linked in the unit planner. All content is provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will engage with this resource to deepen understanding of Te Ao Māori — exploring whakapapa, tikanga, and cultural identity as living systems that shape who we are in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ Students can explain key concepts from this resource using their own words.
- ✅ Students can connect tikanga Māori and whakapapa to real-world examples in Aotearoa.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide sentence starters, visual glossaries, or graphic organisers to give entry-level access for students who need additional support. Offer extension tasks that deepen cultural inquiry — for example, exploring local hapū histories or interviewing a kaumātua.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key kupu Māori (whakapapa, tikanga, mana, mauri) with bilingual glossaries where available. Allow students to respond in their home language as a bridge to English expression.
Inclusion: Use accessible formats — clear headings, adequate whitespace, chunked tasks. Neurodiverse learners benefit from structured choice in how they demonstrate understanding (oral, visual, written). Acknowledge that students may hold personal connections to the cultural content.
Mātauranga Māori lens: This unit centres Te Ao Māori as a living knowledge system. Whakapapa is not merely genealogy but a relational framework linking people, place, and time. Tikanga grounds behaviour in kaupapa Māori principles. Approach content with aroha and manaakitanga.
Prior knowledge: No specialist prior knowledge required for entry-level engagement. Best used after relevant lesson sequences, or as a standalone introduction to cultural identity.
Curriculum alignment
- Identity, Culture, and Organisation: Understand how cultural identity shapes participation in society — whakapapa, tikanga, and mana as foundations of Māori identity in Aotearoa New Zealand.