Unit 4: Economic Justice & Rangatiratanga
Alternative Economic Models & Community Prosperity
A transformative 8-10 week exploration of economic systems that challenges capitalist assumptions and examines how Māori values can create more just and sustainable economic models.
Decolonizing Economics
The current economic system was designed to extract wealth from Indigenous communities and concentrate it in colonial centers. This unit exposes these mechanisms while exploring how Māori economic principles offer pathways to community prosperity, environmental sustainability, and genuine rangatiratanga.
"Nau te rourou, naku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi"
True wealth comes from sharing, not hoarding.
Economic Justice Learning Framework
Economic Analysis Skills
- Systems Thinking: Understanding interconnections
- Data Literacy: Reading economic statistics critically
- Historical Analysis: Tracing economic impacts over time
- Future Modeling: Designing alternative systems
Cross-Curricular Integration
- Mathematics: Economic modeling & statistics
- English: Policy analysis & argumentation
- Science: Sustainability metrics
- Arts: Economic visualization & storytelling
Contemporary Connections
- Housing Crisis: Analyzing structural causes
- Climate Economics: True cost accounting
- Digital Economy: Platform capitalism critique
- Social Enterprise: Values-based business models
Weeks 1-2: Economic Whakapapa - Understanding Our Current System
"Kua tawhiti kē to haere mai ai" - You have come too far to turn back now
Learning Focus
Students develop economic literacy by examining how current economic systems impact their daily lives, families, and communities. They learn to read economic data critically and understand the historical development of capitalism in Aotearoa.
Critical Economic Concepts
- Wealth vs. Income: Understanding different forms of capital
- Economic Indicators: GDP, inflation, unemployment - what they show and hide
- Market Failures: When "free markets" don't work
- Power Structures: Who benefits from current systems?
Learning Activities
- Personal economic impact mapping
- Housing affordability crisis analysis (using existing handout)
- Statistics investigation: "How economic data lies"
- Community economic audit project
🌐 MCP Agent Collaboration - Cross-Curricular Connections
Weeks 3-4: Māori Economic Models - Pre-Colonial Prosperity
"He tangata rawa, he rawa tangata" - Wealth is people, people are wealth
Learning Focus
Students explore sophisticated pre-colonial Māori economic systems that prioritized sustainability, reciprocity, and community wellbeing. They understand how these principles challenge capitalist assumptions about scarcity, competition, and individual accumulation.
Māori Economic Principles
- Taonga Economy: Value based on cultural and spiritual significance
- Reciprocity Systems: Utu, koha, and gift economies
- Collective Ownership: Shared resources and decision-making
- Intergenerational Thinking: Seven-generation decision framework
Research & Analysis
- Traditional trade networks and relationships
- Resource management systems and sustainability
- Conflict resolution and economic justice
- Contemporary Māori enterprises using traditional principles
🤝 Collaborative Case Studies - Agent Network Research
Kiwibank [Kaiako_Aotearoa_History + LF_SocialSciences]: State-owned banking alternative challenging foreign ownership. Students analyze how public ownership creates community wealth retention vs. private profit extraction.
Ngāi Tahu Holdings [LF_Te_Ao_Māori + UX_Designer]: Post-settlement economic development integrating cultural values with modern enterprise. Interactive timeline of economic sovereignty development.
Kiwifruit Industry [Kaiako_STEM + Content_Creator]: Cooperative marketing models and scientific innovation. Mathematical modeling of collective vs. individual marketing returns, environmental impact analysis.
Māori Television [LF_TheArts + Kaiako_Postcolonial_Reviewer]: Cultural enterprise serving public good rather than shareholder profit. Media analysis of economic vs. cultural value creation.
Weeks 5-6: Economic Colonization - Wealth Extraction Systems
"I a ai te tangata, he taonga" - Where there are people, there is wealth
Learning Focus
Students analyze how colonization was fundamentally an economic project designed to extract wealth from Indigenous communities. They examine how legal, political, and financial systems were designed to concentrate wealth in colonial centers.
Mechanisms of Economic Colonization
- Land Alienation: Converting collective ownership to individual property
- Resource Extraction: Exporting raw materials, importing finished goods
- Debt Systems: Creating dependency through credit and mortgages
- Labor Exploitation: Wage systems replacing reciprocal relationships
Contemporary Impacts
- Wealth inequality and racial disparities
- Environmental degradation for profit
- Financial system bias and exclusion
- Gig economy and precarious work (using existing handout)
📊 Integrated Historical Analysis Project - Multi-Agent Collaboration
Whānau Economic Whakapapa [All Agents]: Students research how their families' economic circumstances changed through colonization, urbanization, and neoliberalism using integrated methodology:
- Historical Timeline [Kaiako_Aotearoa_History]: Key economic policy changes and their impacts
- Mathematical Analysis [LF_LiteracyNumeracy]: Wealth accumulation patterns, inflation-adjusted income tracking
- Cultural Context [LF_Te_Ao_Māori]: How economic changes affected cultural practices and whānau structures
- Multimedia Storytelling [LF_TheArts + UX_Designer]: Interactive presentations combining data visualization with personal narratives
- Critical Analysis [LF_English + Kaiako_Postcolonial_Reviewer]: Written analysis connecting personal stories to broader economic colonization patterns
Weeks 7-8: Contemporary Resistance - Alternative Economic Movements
"Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui" - Be strong, be brave, be steadfast
Learning Focus
Students examine contemporary movements challenging capitalist economics, from Indigenous sovereignty movements to cooperative enterprises. They analyze how communities worldwide are creating economic alternatives based on justice, sustainability, and collective wellbeing.
Global Economic Justice Movements
- Indigenous Sovereignty: Land Back and economic self-determination
- Cooperative Economics: Worker and community-owned enterprises
- Degrowth Movement: Challenging growth-obsessed economics
- Climate Justice: Green New Deal and just transition
Local Innovations
- Community-supported agriculture and local food systems
- Timebanking and alternative currencies
- Social enterprise and B-Corporation movement
- Housing cooperatives and collective ownership
🗺️ Community Economic Justice Mapping - Collaborative Research Protocol
Regional Economic Justice Network Analysis [6-Agent Collaboration]: Student teams research local initiatives using integrated methodology:
Research Framework:
- Community Mapping [LF_SocialSciences]: Power structure analysis, resource flow mapping
- Interview Protocols [LF_English]: Question design, narrative collection, story synthesis
- Cultural Protocols [LF_Te_Ao_Māori]: Appropriate engagement with Māori organizations and tikanga
Action Planning:
- Data Analysis [LF_LiteracyNumeracy]: Economic impact calculations, success metrics
- Visual Communication [LF_TheArts + UX_Designer]: Infographics, community presentation materials
- Implementation Strategy [Content_Creator]: Youth engagement pathways, community connection protocols
Weeks 9-10: Building Economic Alternatives - Design for Justice
"Mā te tamaiti nei hei kawe i tōna nei tipuna" - The child will carry forward their ancestors
Learning Focus
Students design their own economic alternatives, integrating Māori values with contemporary innovation. They create business models, policy proposals, and community initiatives that prioritize people and planet over profit.
Design Principles
- Stakeholder Governance: Community voices in decision-making
- Regenerative Design: Building rather than extracting
- Cultural Protocols: Respecting Indigenous knowledge systems
- Intergenerational Justice: Long-term thinking and planning
Innovation Projects
- Social enterprise business plans
- Community economic development proposals
- Policy reform recommendations
- Alternative economic indicators and metrics
🌟 Economic Justice Expo - Full Agent Network Culmination
Collaborative Community Exhibition [12-Agent Integration]: Students present comprehensive alternative economic models developed through integrated learning:
Business Model Design:
- Financial Planning [LF_LiteracyNumeracy]: Feasibility studies, impact projections, sustainability metrics
- Cultural Integration [LF_Te_Ao_Māori]: Tikanga-based governance, māori values integration
Community Engagement:
- Policy Proposals [LF_English + LF_SocialSciences]: Research-based recommendations, implementation pathways
- Visual Communication [LF_TheArts + UX_Designer]: Professional presentations, interactive displays
Innovation Showcase:
- Environmental Integration [Kaiako_STEM]: Sustainability modeling, climate impact assessment
- Quality Assurance [Kaiako_Postcolonial_Reviewer]: Cultural authenticity, educational integrity validation
Community Partners: Local council representatives, Māori economic development officers, social enterprise leaders, bank managers, cooperative coordinators - providing authentic feedback and potential mentorship pathways.
Aromatawai - Assessment & Evaluation
🔍 Integrated Assessment Portfolio - Multi-Agent Evaluation
- Economic Analysis Papers [LF_English + LF_SocialSciences]: Critical examination with academic writing standards and policy analysis
- Mathematical Modeling [LF_LiteracyNumeracy + Kaiako_STEM]: Statistical analysis, economic forecasting, data visualization
- Cultural Integration Projects [LF_Te_Ao_Māori + Kaiako_Postcolonial_Reviewer]: Tikanga-based economic models with authenticity validation
- Creative Storytelling [LF_TheArts + Content_Creator]: Multimedia presentations combining data with narrative
- Community Action Plans [All Agents]: Comprehensive proposals integrating all learning areas
🎯 Cross-Curricular Success Indicators
- Critical Analysis: Questioning economic narratives across multiple perspectives and disciplines
- Mathematical Literacy: Using statistical analysis and modeling to support arguments
- Cultural Competency: Demonstrating authentic understanding of Māori economic principles
- Creative Communication: Presenting complex economic concepts through diverse media
- Community Leadership: Designing actionable solutions with real-world application potential
- Collaborative Excellence: Demonstrating learning across all integrated subject areas
🏆 Excellence Pathway - Agent Network Recognition
Students achieving excellence demonstrate mastery across all learning areas through their economic justice projects. Recognition includes:
Whakamutunga - Unit Conclusion
Students complete this unit with deep understanding of how economic systems shape all aspects of life. They have tools for economic analysis, knowledge of Māori economic principles, and experience designing alternatives. Most importantly, they understand their power as economic agents and community leaders.
"Nau te rourou, naku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi" - Together, we create abundance for all.