Unit 1: Te Ao Māori - Cultural Identity & Knowledge Systems

A transformative journey exploring Māori worldviews, values, and knowledge systems

U Unit Overview
1 Whakapapa & Identity
2 Tikanga & Values
3 Haka & Expression
4 Te Tiriti Partnership
5 Contemporary Applications
šŸŽÆ

Focus Pātai for this wānanga

  • How does haka communicate kaupapa and collective purpose across different contexts?
  • What responsibilities come with performing or supporting haka?
  • How can we use haka principles to uplift our whānau, kura, and hapori?
šŸŽÆ

Learning Intentions

  • Describe the diverse purposes of haka and dismantle common stereotypes.
  • Analyse haka performances using voice, movement, tikanga, and kaupapa lenses.
  • Design a collective expression that honours whānau narratives and civic responsibility.
āœ…

Success Criteria (ākonga-facing)

  • I can articulate at least three purposes of haka grounded in tikanga and history.
  • I can evaluate haka performances using evidence from the companion analysis tables.
  • I can plan a respectful class expression or support plan guided by whānau voices.
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Te Mātaiaho Threads

  • Tangata Whenuatanga Ā· PS4 ā€“ honour whakapapa narratives through haka.
  • Arts | Ngā Toi ā€“ investigate, interpret, and create cultural expressions.
  • Citizenship | Civic Literacy ā€“ respond to issues with manaakitanga and collective action.

Effective from: Term 1 2026 Ā· Review: 30 Paengawhāwhā 2026

šŸ‘©ā€šŸ« Teaching Instructions ā€“ Haka Across Contexts

Distribute the Haka Expression Companion before the session. It houses stereotype-challenge prompts, guided viewing notes, comparison tables, and the collective design blueprint.

  • Before learning: Work through the misconceptions vs reality strip to set respectful intent.
  • During learning: Pause at the companionā€™s suggested timestamps to record voice/movement observations for each video.
  • After learning: Guide groups through the collective design blueprint and the new civic scenario cards below.
  • Formative checkpoint: Collect stereotype refutation cards, analysis tables, and design drafts as Mātainuku/Mātairea evidence.

Haerenga Ako ā€“ Lesson Flow (75 minutes)

1. WhakatÅ«whera ā€“ Beyond Stereotypes (15 mins)

  • Use the companionā€™s misconception cards to surface and cross out deficit thinking.
  • Discuss the true purposes of haka (whakapapa, protest, manaakitanga, celebration).

Support: Provide sentence starters for students navigating sensitive kōrero.

2. Guided Viewing ā€“ Haka as Protest (20 mins)

  • Analyse purpose, audience, tikanga, and mana evident in the protest haka.
  • Record quotes or gestures that show collective power and political intent.

Teacher move: Relate to historical protests studied in Unitā€Æ2 for continuity.

3. Guided Viewing ā€“ Kapa Haka Artistry (20 mins)

  • Map voice, movement, and storytelling techniques using the companionā€™s analysis table.
  • Celebrate the artistry and rehearsed precision that holds whakapapa and kaupapa.

Differentiation: Provide visual icons and reo Māori glossaries for key terms.

4. Collective Expression Lab (20 mins)

Purpose: Design a collective expression (or support plan) grounded in whakapapa and tikanga.

  • Complete the blueprint (purpose, kupu, actions, tikanga checks) in the companion.
  • Clarify roles (kaikōrero, kaikaranga, kaitito kupu, kaihaka, kaimahi muri).
  • Rehearse or storyboard with emphasis on manaakitanga and consent.

Support: Provide alternative roles (audio mixing, storytelling, visual design) for learners who opt out of movement.

šŸ¤ Haka Protocols in Action ā€“ Civic Scenario Cards (15 mins)

Kura Pōwhiri

Student leaders plan a pōwhiri for new kaiako. What haka (or supportive action) will uphold manaakitanga and respect kōhanga reo whānau attending?

šŸ§™ Mātanga Whispers (Expert Tips):
  • Assign clear roles (wero, karanga) and practice to build confidence.
  • Prepare a simple, heartfelt mihi directly welcoming the new teachers.
  • Choose a "school haka" that everyone knows to ensure maximum inclusion.

Protest Support

Community roopu requests tautoko for a land rights protest. How will students ensure haka is led appropriately, with mana whenua consent and safety plans?

šŸ§™ Mātanga Whispers (Expert Tips):
  • Observe and follow the lead of kaumātua (elders) for cultural safety.
  • Understand the specific kaupapa to better protect the purpose.
  • Prioritize collective wellbeing; avoid direct confrontation if it risks safety.

Whānau Celebration

A whānau invites the class to contribute to a wedding celebration. How could students adapt haka or waiata tautoko to honour the coupleā€™s whakapapa?

šŸ§™ Mātanga Whispers (Expert Tips):
  • Watch lead performers closely (kaitātaki) to stay synchronized.
  • Adopt a supportive stance and use basic movements if unsure of details.
  • Prioritize respectful presence over "performing loud" ā€“ support, don't dominate.

Groups share key considerations; photograph the completed cards as Mātairea evidence.

šŸ“Š Mātainuku & Mātairea ā€“ Aromatawai

Mātainuku Evidence ā€“ Ākonga Canā€¦

  • Ākonga can refute a haka stereotype using evidence from companion notes and class kōrero.
  • Ākonga can analyse haka performances, identifying purpose, tikanga, and performance techniques.
  • Ākonga can outline tikanga considerations for a proposed collective expression.

Mātairea Evidence ā€“ Ākonga Canā€¦

  • Design or support a collective expression that honours whakapapa and partnership commitments.
  • Respond to civic scenarios with manaakitanga, detailing whānau consultation steps.
  • Upload voice-note or written reflections articulating how haka responsibilities extend beyond kura.

Moderation tag: U1L3-haka-matauranga

Differentiation & Wellbeing

  • Offer multiple participation modes (movement, narration, design, audio mixing).
  • Provide quiet reflection space for students processing heavy protest content.
  • Invite whānau or kapa haka mentors to support practice sessions.

šŸ§ŗ Whānau & Hapori Partnerships

Kōrero Ki te Whānau

  • Share the whānau reflection prompt (companion p.4) ā€“ ā€œWhen has haka supported our whānau?ā€
  • Gather whānau tikanga guidelines for performing or supporting haka (document in scenario cards).
  • Invite whānau to observe or guide the collective expression rehearsal.

Next Steps

  • Coordinate with kapa haka tutors or marae educators for feedback on student plans.
  • Upload whānau insights to moderation folder tagged U1L3-whanau.
  • Prepare for Lessonā€Æ4 by revisiting Treaty commitments that underpin modern haka expression.

Whakaaro - Reflection

Haka is a living taongaā€”rooted in whakapapa, wielded for protest, celebration, and healing. Ākonga finish this lesson recognising their responsibility to uphold tikanga, amplify collective voice, and support whānau decisions with manaakitanga.

ā€œEhara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.ā€ ā€“ My strength is not that of an individual but that of the collective.

Curriculum alignment

  • Pāhekoheko ā€” Practices: Kaumātua share wisdom and uphold tikanga, while whānau whānui work together to nurture identity, belonging, and collective responsibility.

šŸ“‹ Teacher Planning Snapshot

Ngā Whāinga Ako ā€” Learning Intentions

Students will engage with this resource to deepen understanding of Te Ao Māori ā€” exploring whakapapa, tikanga, and cultural identity as living systems that shape who we are in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Ngā Paearu AngitÅ« ā€” Success Criteria

  • āœ… Students can explain key concepts from this resource using their own words.
  • āœ… 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 ā€” for example, exploring local hapÅ« 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 ā€” 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 ā€” whakapapa, tikanga, and mana as foundations of Māori identity in Aotearoa New Zealand.