Multicultural New Zealand
Multicultural New Zealand · Years 9–12
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions
- Investigate a significant question using evidence from multiple sources
- Analyse and evaluate information to form and support a reasoned position
- Connect learning to real-world contexts, including Aotearoa New Zealand settings
- Communicate understanding clearly and accurately for a specific audience
Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria
- I use at least two sources and can evaluate their credibility
- My position is clearly stated and supported by specific evidence
- I can connect my learning to at least one real-world Aotearoa context
- My communication is clear, organised, and appropriate for the audience
Multicultural New Zealand
🌏 He iwi kē, he iwi kē — a different people, a different peopleIn the 2023 Census, New Zealand recorded 160+ ethnicities — making it one of the most diverse small nations on Earth. Auckland is now more ethnically diverse than London or Los Angeles. But diversity is not the same as equity. Understanding how different communities arrived in Aotearoa, what rights and obligations the Treaty creates for all who live here, and how to hold both tino rangatiratanga (Māori sovereignty) and kāwanatanga (governance of all peoples) in balance — this is the central challenge of contemporary NZ identity.
Part 1 — Ko wai ngā tangata o Aotearoa? Who lives here?
| Ethnic group | 2013 population | 2023 population | % of NZ (2023) | % change 2013–23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ European / Pākehā | 2,969,391 | 2,899,389 | ||
| Māori | 598,602 | 875,000 | ||
| Pacific Peoples | 295,941 | 406,000 | ||
| Asian | 471,708 | 834,000 | ||
| Middle Eastern / Latin American / African | 46,953 | 108,000 | ||
| Other / Multi-ethnic | 67,743 | 120,000 | ||
| Total NZ population | 4,242,048 | 5,123,000 | 100% |
- Complete the % and % change columns. Which group grew the fastest proportionally between 2013 and 2023? Which group shrank as a percentage?
- Create a double bar graph comparing 2013 and 2023 populations for each ethnic group (not including "Other"). Label axes with units. Choose a suitable scale.
- The NZ European/Pākehā population actually declined in absolute terms between 2013 and 2023 despite NZ's total population growing by 881,000. What does this tell you about migration and birth rate patterns? What are the social implications?
Part 2 — Ngā Ngaru Manene: Waves of Immigration
People have been arriving in Aotearoa in waves — each wave shaped by global events, colonial policies, economic opportunities, and human need.
| Wave | Period | Origin | Reason for coming | Treaty context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st arrivals | ~1200–1350 CE | Polynesia (East Hawaii / Society Islands) | Exploration, expansion | N/A — first peoples; Treaty obligations descend from tangatawhenua status |
| European settlement | 1790–1860s | Britain, Ireland, some European | Land, trade, colonial expansion | Treaty signed 1840; many settlers arrived before or despite Treaty terms |
| Assisted immigration | 1870–1900 | Britain (esp. Scotland, Ireland) | Government schemes for farm labour | Land confiscated from Māori was "made available" for settlers |
| Goldfield workers | 1860s–1880s | China, Australia, Chile | West Coast/Otago gold rushes | Chinese workers faced poll taxes; excluded from citizenship |
| Pacific labour | 1950s–1970s | Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands | NZ recruited Pacific workers for factories | Dawn Raids (1974–76) deported Polynesian workers when labour needed dropped |
| Asian migration | 1990s–present | India, China, South Korea, Philippines | Skills visa, family reunion, education | Policy-managed; no specific Treaty obligations but NZ values apply |
| Refugee resettlement | 1979–present | Vietnam, Cambodia, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan | UNHCR quota programme (1,500/yr) | NZ obligations under international refugee law; Treaty values of manaakitanga |
- Choose ONE immigration wave. Write a 150-word case study: Why did this group come? What was their experience on arrival? What contributions have they made to NZ? What challenges did they face (legal, social, economic)?
- The 1970s "Dawn Raids" involved police and immigration officers conducting early-morning home raids on Pacific Island communities — many of whom had been invited by the NZ government to work here. Using the concepts of manaakitanga and tino rangatiratanga, evaluate whether these raids were consistent with Treaty values. What does the Crown's 2021 apology for the Dawn Raids suggest?
Part 3 — Te Tiriti me te Aotearoa Hou: Treaty and New NZ
The Treaty of Waitangi is a document between Māori and the Crown (British government). But today, NZ has 5 million people from 160 ethnicities. Who does the Treaty apply to? What obligations does it create for new arrivals?
🏛️ Perspective A — "The Treaty is for everyone"
All people who live in Aotearoa benefit from the Treaty — from the stability, rule of law, and land security it established. Therefore, all people have obligations to honour its principles. New migrants, as future citizens, become part of the Treaty relationship by adopting NZ citizenship and its values.
🌿 Perspective B — "The Treaty is between Māori and the Crown"
The Treaty was negotiated between Māori rangatira and the British Crown — not with migrants. While new arrivals should respect Māori culture, extending Treaty obligations to all citizens dilutes the specific Crown-Māori partnership and may weaken indigenous rights rather than strengthen them.
- Summarise both perspectives in your own words (2–3 sentences each). Which do you find more persuasive? Why?
- Scenario: A new migrant family from the Philippines settles in Rotorua. Their children attend a local school. The school follows a "bicultural" curriculum with significant te reo Māori and tikanga content. The parents ask why their culture is not also represented. How should the school respond? Draft a 150-word response that honours both biculturalism (Treaty obligations) and multiculturalism (recognising all students' cultures).
- Vision: Design a "Multicultural Aotearoa Charter" — a set of 6 principles that all people living in NZ (Māori, Pākehā, Pacific, Asian, MELA, and new migrants) should agree to. Each principle should specifically reference the Treaty of Waitangi, manaakitanga, or rangatiratanga. Justify each choice.
🌍 Whakamutunga — He Aotearoa, he aha?
New Zealand is one of the most remarkable social experiments in human history — a diverse nation formed in an extraordinarily short time from peoples who had no prior connection, bound together by a document (the Treaty), a place (this island country), and an ongoing negotiation about what it means to live well together. There is no finished answer. The conversation is the point.
Te wero: Interview someone from a different ethnic background to your own. Ask: What drew you (or your family) to NZ? What challenges have you faced? What do you love about living here? What would you change? Write a 200-word profile of their story.
🌿 Ngā Rauemi Hono — Related Resources
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Level 3–4: Investigate social, cultural, environmental, and economic questions; gather and evaluate evidence from diverse sources; communicate findings and reasoning clearly for different audiences and purposes.
Level 3–4: Read, interpret, and evaluate information texts; write clearly and purposefully for specific audiences; apply critical thinking skills to evaluate sources and construct well-reasoned responses.
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
This resource sits within a kaupapa that recognises mātauranga Māori as a living knowledge system with its own frameworks, values, and ways of understanding the world. The New Zealand Curriculum calls for learning that reflects the bicultural partnership of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which means every subject area has an obligation to engage authentically with Māori perspectives — not as cultural decoration but as substantive contributions to how we understand our topics. The concepts of manaakitanga (care for others), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whanaungatanga (relationship and belonging), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) provide a values framework applicable across all learning areas, and all are relevant to the work in this handout.
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.