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 Mātauranga Māori
4 Arts & Expression
5 Contemporary Te Ao Māori
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Focus Pātai for this wānanga

  • How do traditional arts and kōrero tuku iho function as knowledge technologies?
  • How can digital tools amplify, not replace, mātauranga Māori?
  • What responsibilities do we carry when sharing or archiving iwi and whānau stories?
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Learning Intentions

  • Analyse Māori art forms and oral traditions as repositories of knowledge.
  • Plan a contemporary project that preserves or revitalises mātauranga.
  • Collaborate with whānau/hapori partners to ensure tikanga-led outcomes.
āœ…

Success Criteria (ākonga-facing)

  • I can explain how a chosen art form or pÅ«rākau encodes mātauranga.
  • I can prototype a creative project that honours tikanga and includes whānau voices.
  • I can articulate how my project serves our community today.
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Te Mātaiaho Threads

  • Tangata Whenuatanga ā€“ whakapapa-informed practice, intergenerational stewardship.
  • Ngā Toi | Arts ā€“ creating, presenting, and responding to cultural taonga.
  • Hauora & Citizenship ā€“ sustaining wellbeing through cultural agency and community service.

Effective from: Term 1 2026 Ā· Review: 15 Haratua 2026

šŸ‘©ā€šŸ« Teaching Instructions ā€“ Contemporary Te Ao Māori Project Wānanga

Bring together artefact photos, audio recorders, and digital devices. Encourage ākonga to rotate between traditional knowledge stations and the project studio. The checklist below supports pacing and tikanga.

Kaiako Checklist:
  • Before learning: Use kōrero starters to confirm whose knowledge will be highlighted and what permissions are required.
  • During learning: Move between stations (Ngā Toi, PÅ«rākau, Digital Toolkit, Project Studio) capturing notes.
  • After learning: Guide groups through the project pitch cards and schedule whānau feedback opportunities.

Haerenga Ako ā€“ Lesson Flow (90 minutes)

1. Taonga Station Walk (25 mins)

  • Carousel through stations highlighting whakairo, tukutuku, ta moko/kirituhi, raranga, taonga pÅ«oro.
  • At each, identify what knowledge is stored, how itā€™s accessed, and who safeguards it.

2. Pūrākau & Oral Histories (20 mins)

  • Listen to curated excerpts (Waka Huia, kaupapa podcasts, whānau recordings).
  • Analyse how storytellers structure memory: repetition, metaphor, waiata, call-and-response.

3. Digital Toolkit Lab (15 mins)

Purpose: Explore tools that can host or enhance mātauranga safely.

šŸ”’ Digital Tikanga Checklist:
  • Global Permission: Do not post whakapapa or taonga to public clouds (TikTok/YouTube) without direct whānau permission.
  • Data Sovereignty: Use platforms where you own the content (StoryMap, local files) rather than those that claim ownership.
  • Context: Ensure stories are not separated from their meaning or used for commercial gain.

4. Project Studio (30 mins)

  • In groups, choose a mātauranga focus and draft a project blueprint (purpose, audience, taonga, platform, tikanga).
  • Assign roles (kaiarotake, kaitito kōrero, kaiwhakatangi, kaituku raraunga, kaitohu tikanga).

šŸš€ Project Pitch Sprint (15 mins)

Pitch Card

Groups complete a one-page pitch: kaupapa, taonga, digital/analogue outputs, tikanga protections, whānau partners, success measures.

Feedback Carousel

Rotate pitches. Peers provide mana-enhancing feedback: ā€œHe mea mÄ«haroā€¦ā€, ā€œHei whakapai akeā€¦ā€, ā€œHe pātai mā mātouā€¦ā€.

Whānau Permission Script

"Kia ora [Name], we are learning about preserving knowledge in class. I would love to interview you about [Topic/Ancestor] for my project. I will check with you before sharing anything. Is this okay?"

šŸ“Š Mātainuku & Mātairea ā€“ Aromatawai

Mātainuku Evidence ā€“ Ākonga Canā€¦

  • Explain how chosen taonga, art forms, or pÅ«rākau encode knowledge and values.
  • Document insights from whānau interviews or oral histories with accurate referencing.
  • Outline tikanga considerations to protect knowledge throughout the project.

Mātairea Evidence ā€“ Ākonga Canā€¦

  • Produce a project pitch integrating traditional and contemporary approaches.
  • Identify community partners and plan how outputs will serve them.
  • Reflect on their role as knowledge carriers with a personal action statement.

Moderation tag: U1L5-taonga-project

Differentiation & Wellbeing

  • Offer choice of medium (digital, visual, oral, performance-based).
  • Provide alternative pathways for students with sensitive whakapapa stories (opt-in sharing).
  • Check in about time commitments outside kura; adjust project scope where needed.

šŸ§ŗ Whānau & Hapori Partnerships

Kōrero ki te Whānau

  • Send home project summary + consent form outlining kaupapa, intended outputs, and how whānau will be credited.
  • Invite whānau to contribute artefacts, stories, or feedback at checkpoints.
  • Offer a flexible sharing format (hui, digital gallery, printed booklet) decided alongside whānau.

Next Steps

  • Schedule presentation/launch date and confirm tikanga (karakia, waiata, acknowledgements).
  • Upload whānau feedback to moderation folder tagged U1L5-whanau.
  • Plan reflection circle after the showcase to review impact and ongoing responsibilities.

Whakaaro ā€“ Closing Reflection

We conclude the unit by pledging to carry mātauranga with integrity. Each ākonga shares one commitment for continuing their project or supporting whānau knowledge after the showcase.

ā€œHe taonga tuku iho te mātauranga ā€“ knowledge is a treasured inheritance.ā€

šŸŽ¬ Media Anchor

Use this clip to examine how contemporary performance and storytelling carry mātauranga into modern spaces.

  • Pause and discuss: What cultural values are encoded through movement, language, and performance in this clip?
  • Transfer task: Add one storytelling technique from the clip into your project pitch card.

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.