Focus PÄtai for this wÄnanga
- How do Treaty principles guide contemporary decision-making in Aotearoa?
- What does authentic partnership look like in practice?
- How can we as rangatahi honour Treaty commitments in our actions?
Learning Intentions
- We are learning how Treaty principles apply to contemporary partnerships and power-sharing.
- We are learning to evaluate examples of successful and unsuccessful Treaty implementation.
- We are learning to design respectful partnership approaches in our own contexts.
Success Criteria (Äkonga-facing)
- I can explain the three Treaty principles and their contemporary applications.
- I can analyse case studies of Treaty partnership using evidence from multiple perspectives.
- I can design partnership plans that honor Treaty commitments in school or community contexts.
Te MÄtaiaho Threads
- Tangata Whenuatanga Ā· PS5 ā understand Treaty as foundational to Aotearoa identity.
- Social Studies | Tikanga-Ä-Iwi ā examine power, participation and democracy in Aotearoa.
- Citizenship | Civic Literacy ā participate in civic life with cultural responsiveness.
NgÄ Mahi - Lesson Activities (75 minutes)
šŗ Video Introduction: Understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi (10 mins)
Before Watching: Think about these questions:
- What do you already know about the Treaty of Waitangi?
- Why might a treaty signed in 1840 still matter today?
- What does "partnership" mean between two groups?
PÄtai - Questions to Consider While Watching:
- What were the main promises made in Te Tiriti?
- How did the English and MÄori versions differ?
- What does "tino rangatiratanga" mean?
- How were the Treaty principles broken or upheld?
After Watching - Think-Pair-Share:
Discuss with a partner:
- Think: What was the most surprising thing you learned? (1 min)
- Pair: Share your thoughts with your partner (2 mins)
- Share: We'll hear from 2-3 pairs about their insights (2 mins)
1. NgÄ MÄtÄpono - Understanding the Three Principles (20 mins)
Foundation Learning: Students explore the three foundational principles of Te Tiriti and what they mean in practice.
1. Partnership
Meaning: MÄori and Crown work together as equals, making decisions that affect both communities collaboratively.
Example: Co-governance of natural resources, shared decision-making in education and health.
2. Participation
Meaning: MÄori have meaningful involvement in all decisions that affect them, at all levels of society.
Example: MÄori representation in Parliament, involvement in local council decisions affecting MÄori communities.
3. Protection
Meaning: The Crown actively protects MÄori interests, language, culture, and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination).
Example: Te Reo MÄori revitalization programs, protecting traditional fishing and gathering rights.
These Principles Apply to All Relationships
How can partnership, participation, and protection improve relationships in families, friendships, schools, and communities?
2. Mana Tohatoha - Power-Sharing in Practice (25 mins)
Scenario Analysis: Students apply Treaty principles to analyze real-world situations and practice partnership thinking.
Scenario A: School Decision-Making
Situation: Your school is changing its uniform policy. Currently, only teachers and principal make decisions.
- Partnership: Teachers and students working together to design the uniform.
- Participation: Äkonga having a vote or say in the final choice.
- Protection: Ensuring the uniform respects cultural taonga (e.g., pounamu).
Scenario B: Family Decision-Making
Situation: A family is deciding where to go for their annual holiday. Parents usually just decide without consulting children.
- Partnership: Holding a whÄnau hui where everyone's idea is listed.
- Participation: Children researching options and presenting to parents.
- Protection: Ensuring the holiday is safe and affordable for the whÄnau.
Scenario C: Environmental Protection
Situation: A local river is being polluted by industrial waste. The company says it's creating jobs.
- Partnership: Company and Iwi managing the river restoration together.
- Participation: Community testing water quality and reporting data.
- Protection: Prioritizing the Mauri (life force) of the water over profit.
Scenario D: Cultural Expression
Situation: A sports team wants to use a MÄori design for their logo without consulting local iwi.
- Partnership: Seeking permission and guidance from the design's owners.
- Participation: Inviting local artist to co-create a meaningful logo.
- Protection: Ensuring the design is used respectfully and not commercialized.
3. Te Tiriti Today - Living Partnership in Modern Aotearoa (20 mins)
Contemporary Investigation: Students examine how Te Tiriti principles are being applied (or not applied) in current Aotearoa New Zealand.
Education & Te Reo MÄori
Partnership: How are MÄori and Crown working together to revitalize Te Reo?
Current Reality: Te Reo MÄori in schools, MÄori-medium education, cultural integration in curriculum.
Environmental Co-governance
Partnership: Rivers, mountains, and forests with legal personhood status.
Current Reality: Te Urewera Act, Whanganui River settlement, shared management of natural resources.
Health & Social Services
Protection: Addressing health inequities and improving MÄori health outcomes.
Current Reality: MÄori health authority, culturally appropriate services, addressing systemic racism.
Political Representation
Participation: MÄori political representation and decision-making power.
Current Reality: MÄori electorates, MÄori Party, local council MÄori wards, consultation processes.
Student Research Task:
Choose one contemporary example and investigate: How well are Treaty principles being applied? What's working well? What could be improved? How does this affect all New Zealanders?
Resources: Use Treaty analysis handout for detailed background information.
4. WhakatÅhea - Becoming One People Through Partnership (10 mins)
Personal Reflection: Students consider how Treaty principles can guide their own relationships and actions.
Reflection Questions:
- Personal Partnership: How can you practice partnership in your friendships, whÄnau relationships, and group work?
- Participation Commitment: How can you ensure that all voices are heard in groups you're part of?
- Protection Responsibility: How can you help protect things that are important to others, even if they're different from you?
- Bicultural Aotearoa: Regardless of your heritage, how can you contribute to respectful bicultural relationships?
Personal Treaty Commitment
Write one specific action you commit to taking this week that demonstrates partnership, participation, or protection in your daily life.
Cross-Curricular Applications
Social Studies (Global Context)
Compare: The Treaty of Waitangi (1840) vs The Sami Parliament (Sapmi/Norway).
- Similarities: Both Indigenous groups have fought for rights to land and language (Protection).
- Differences: Sami created a separate Parliament; MÄori advocated for representation within the main Parliament (Participation).
English
Argument Analysis: Analyze the language of the English and MÄori versions. How did translation choices change the meaning of power?
Health & PE
Team Leadership: Apply "Co-Captaincy" models. How does sharing leadership (Partnership) change team dynamics?
Drama
Perspective Taking: Roleplay the 1840 signing from three angles: Governor Hobson, Chief Te Kemara (opposed), and Chief Tamati Waka Nene (supported).
Aromatawai - Assessment
Understanding & Application
- Principle Comprehension: Clear understanding of partnership, participation, protection
- Scenario Analysis: Thoughtful application of Treaty principles to contemporary situations
- Critical Thinking: Ability to analyze how well current systems honor Te Tiriti
- Personal Connection: Meaningful reflection on personal application
Extension Projects
- Community Investigation: Research local Treaty applications (river management, council MÄori wards)
- Comparative Analysis: Compare Te Tiriti with other international indigenous treaties
- Creative Expression: Develop artistic representation of Treaty principles
- Action Project: Implement Treaty principles in school or community context
Whakamutunga - Lesson Reflection
Today we discovered that Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides a blueprint for respectful relationships that goes far beyond 1840. Its principles of partnership, participation, and protection offer guidance for creating fairness in our families, schools, communities, and nation. Understanding Te Tiriti helps us all contribute to bicultural Aotearoa, regardless of our heritage.
"He whakatÅhea" - To be as one people through partnership, not assimilation.
š Teacher Planning Snapshot
NgÄ WhÄinga Ako ā Learning Intentions
Students will engage with this resource to deepen understanding of Te Ao MÄori ā exploring whakapapa, tikanga, and cultural identity as living systems that shape who we are in Aotearoa New Zealand.
NgÄ Paearu AngitÅ« ā Success Criteria
- ā Students can explain key concepts from this resource using their own words.
- ā Students can connect tikanga MÄori 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 kaumÄtua.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key kupu MÄori (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.
MÄtauranga MÄori lens: This unit centres Te Ao MÄori as a living knowledge system. Whakapapa is not merely genealogy but a relational framework linking people, place, and time. Tikanga grounds behaviour in kaupapa MÄori 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 MÄori identity in Aotearoa New Zealand.