Solidarity is not sympathy. It is not watching from the outside and feeling sorry. Solidarity is choosing to stand with others because their struggle is connected to yours — and because justice is indivisible.
🎯 Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Distinguish between sympathy, allyship, and solidarity — and explain why the distinction matters
- Analyse specific examples of cross-cultural indigenous solidarity in action
- Evaluate what genuine solidarity requires from people in positions of relative privilege
- Design a concrete solidarity action connected to a real issue affecting indigenous peoples
Part 1: What Is Solidarity — and What It Isn't
The word solidarity gets used loosely. Before we can build it, we need to understand what it actually means.
Sympathy
"I feel sorry for what happened to you."
Keeps the speaker at a distance. Positions the other group as a victim. Does not require action or change.
Allyship
"I support your cause."
More active than sympathy. But can still be performative — posting on social media without changing behaviour or sharing power.
Solidarity
"Your struggle is connected to mine. I will act."
Recognises shared stakes. Requires giving up something — comfort, privilege, time, platform. Sustained over time, not just when it's trendy.
Māori scholar and activist Moana Jackson described solidarity as requiring tino rangatiratanga — not charity from above, but genuine partnership that respects the sovereignty and leadership of those most affected.
Part 2: Case Studies in Indigenous Solidarity
Standing Rock, 2016 — USA/International
When the Standing Rock Sioux tribe faced the Dakota Access Pipeline crossing their ancestral lands and water supply, indigenous peoples from over 300 nations gathered at the camp — including a delegation from Aotearoa led by Māori and Moriori representatives. The camp became a model of indigenous solidarity: people led by those most affected, with others in supporting roles. Solidarity required showing up physically, sharing resources, and amplifying Standing Rock voices rather than centring outsiders' perspectives.
Ihumātao, 2019 — Aotearoa New Zealand
When SOUL (Save Our Unique Landscape) occupied the Ihumātao site in South Auckland — one of the earliest human settlements in Aotearoa, threatened by housing development on land taken under the Māori Land Court in 1863 — the occupation drew solidarity from across Aotearoa and internationally. Pacific leaders, environmental groups, students, and unions showed up. Critics argued some supporters made the issue about themselves; genuine solidarity meant following the lead of the whānau and hapū most affected — Pūkōrero o Te Ākitai Waiohua.
UNDRIP and Pacific Leadership, 2007 — International
When the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was put to a vote in 2007, only four countries voted against it: Australia, Canada, the United States — and New Zealand. Pacific Island nations were among the strongest advocates for the declaration. New Zealand eventually endorsed UNDRIP in 2010, but its initial vote was a reminder that solidarity must be built — it is not automatic even for settler nations with large indigenous populations. Pacific nations modelled solidarity with global indigenous peoples that New Zealand had failed to show.
Analysis Activities
1. Distinguish: Using the three case studies above, find one example of genuine solidarity and one that shows the risks of allyship becoming performative. Explain the difference in this context.
2. Analyse: Moana Jackson said solidarity requires recognising that others' struggles are connected to yours. How are the struggles of indigenous peoples globally connected to each other? Give at least two specific connections.
3. Evaluate: New Zealand voted against UNDRIP in 2007 but later endorsed it. What does this shift suggest about how solidarity can be built (or lost) at a national level? What might have changed?
Part 3: What Does Solidarity Require?
Scholars of indigenous solidarity have identified several principles that distinguish genuine solidarity from performance:
Follow indigenous leadership
Act in support of indigenous-led campaigns — not as the organiser or spokesperson. Amplify rather than centre yourself.
Do the learning work yourself
Do not expect indigenous people to educate you at their expense. Read, listen, and seek out indigenous-produced analysis first.
Give up something real
Genuine solidarity requires cost — whether that is comfort, resources, time, or social status. If it costs you nothing, reconsider whether it is solidarity.
Show up consistently
Solidarity is not only present when an issue is trending. The most important solidarity often happens in the unglamorous, ongoing work between crises.
Accept criticism
Allies and solidarity actors will make mistakes. How you respond to being called in or called out is part of genuine solidarity. Listen, reflect, and change.
Connect the systemic dots
Understanding why indigenous peoples face these struggles — and how colonialism, capitalism, and racism interconnect — makes solidarity more effective than responding to each issue in isolation.
Culminating Task: Design a Solidarity Action
Working individually or in pairs, design a concrete solidarity action connected to a real issue affecting indigenous peoples in Aotearoa or globally. Your action must:
- Be specific — not "raise awareness" but a concrete, achievable action
- Be grounded — connected to an actual indigenous-led initiative or campaign
- Follow the principles above — especially: follow indigenous leadership
- Be something you could actually do as a secondary school student in Aotearoa
Issue / campaign:
What indigenous organisation or initiative leads this? (follow their lead)
Your specific solidarity action:
What does it cost you? (what are you giving up or doing differently?)
How does this connect indigenous struggles globally to struggles in Aotearoa?
Whakaaro Hōhonu — Reflection
The whakataukī at the start of this lesson says: "My strength is not that of a single warrior, but of many." How does this idea — that strength comes from collective action — challenge the way we usually think about individual responsibility and change?
📋 Teacher Planning Notes
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ I can explain the difference between sympathy, allyship, and solidarity with examples
- ✅ I can analyse real-world examples of indigenous solidarity and identify what made them effective or limited
- ✅ I can design a specific, grounded solidarity action following indigenous leadership
Differentiation
Scaffold: Provide a solidarity action template with sentence starters. Pair students for the culminating task. Offer a simplified version of the case studies with glossary support.
Extension: Research Te Tiriti of Waitangi as an international solidarity document — how does it position Aotearoa in relation to global indigenous rights frameworks? Write a PEEL paragraph arguing whether New Zealand meets or fails its Treaty obligations in terms of indigenous solidarity.
Culturally responsive: If students identify with an indigenous group themselves, honour their lived expertise. Avoid requiring students to perform their identity for the class. The solidarity action should be genuine, not performative.
NZC Curriculum Alignment
- Social Sciences: Understand how people's decisions and actions affect others, including across cultural and national boundaries; understand how communities and individuals participate and take action.
- Aotearoa New Zealand's Histories: Understand how colonisation has shaped the experiences of Māori and how Aotearoa is positioned in relation to global indigenous rights movements.
🌿 Te Ao Māori Lens
The waka hourua (double-hulled voyaging canoe) is a powerful metaphor for solidarity. It requires multiple crew working in concert — navigators, paddlers, bailers, lookouts — each with a different role, each essential. No one person can sail it alone. In te ao Māori, whanaungatanga extends outward: the Māori proverb "he waka eke noa" (a canoe we are all in together, with no exceptions) is used to describe shared responsibility. This principle — that we are all in the same waka whether we chose it or not — is the foundation of genuine solidarity across cultures and across oceans.
📋 Kaiako Planning Snapshot
Teacher planning support for this resource — learning intentions, success criteria, and inclusive practice guidance are summarised below.
Inclusion Guidance
- ESOL / ELL learners: Pre-teach key vocabulary (building, solidarity) using visual word walls or bilingual glossaries before the lesson. Reduce language load with diagrams and visual models. Partner-share and think-pair-share strategies encouraged.
- Neurodiverse learners / ADHD: Break the lesson into clear segments with visual checkpoints. UDL principle: offer ākonga a choice in how they demonstrate understanding (verbal, written, visual/drawn). Provide anchor charts or reference cards for lesson 5 concepts throughout.
- Dyslexia: Provide audio-text alternatives for written materials. Use high-contrast fonts and generous line spacing. Allow voice recording as an alternative to written responses where possible.