Unit 2 Innovation Domains Comparison · 2025 Edition · Years 7–10
Comparing Māori and Modern Approaches to Technology and Problem-Solving
Innovation isn't a single concept. Different cultures develop unique approaches based on their values, environment, and needs. This activity compares the principles of traditional Māori innovation with modern, Western-style innovation across six key domains. Consider not just what was created, but how and why.
| Innovation Domain | Māori Innovation Principles | Modern Innovation Principles |
|---|---|---|
| Marine (Waka vs. Cargo Ship) |
- Holistic knowledge (stars, waves, birds) - Sustainable, natural materials (tōtara, harakeke) - Waka as taonga with whakapapa - Multi-purpose (transport, fishing, ceremony) |
- Specialised technology (GPS, radar, sonar) - Extractive materials (steel, fossil fuels) - Vessel as a disposable asset - Single-purpose, optimised for profit |
| Agricultural (Māra vs. Industrial Farm) |
- Works with ecosystems (companion planting) - Focus on long-term soil health (e.g., puke) - Food sovereignty & community nourishment - Knowledge held by community (mātauranga) |
- Aims to control/dominate ecosystems - Focus on short-term yield (synthetic fertilisers) - Global supply chains & profit-driven - Knowledge as intellectual property (patents) |
| Medical (Rongoā vs. Pharmaceutical) |
- Holistic (taha wairua, taha hinengaro) - Focus on restoring balance (hauora) - Personalised treatment - Healer & patient relationship is key |
- Symptom-focused, specialised - Focus on eliminating pathogens - Standardised "one-size-fits-all" treatment - Patient as a consumer of a product |
| Construction (Whare vs. Skyscraper) |
- Renewable, local materials - Design adapts to climate & landscape - Building as a living entity with cultural meaning - Built by community, for community |
- High-energy, processed materials (concrete, steel) - Climate-controlled, sealed environments - Building as a financial asset - Built by specialised contractors |
| Textile (Kākahu vs. Fast Fashion) |
- Sustainable harvesting (e.g., harakeke) - Process builds mana into the garment - Taonga passed through generations - Reflects whakapapa and identity |
- Linear model (produce, use, dispose) - Exploitative labour practices are common - Designed for obsolescence, disposable - Reflects temporary trends |
| Tool-making (Pounamu vs. Steel) |
- Uses available, superior materials (pounamu, obsidian) - Tool has its own whakapapa and story - Created by skilled artisans for specific needs - Kaitiakitanga over the resource source |
- Global extraction of raw materials - Tool is a mass-produced commodity - Created in factories for mass market - Resource source is often exploited |
Looking at the chart, what are 2-3 core values or principles that seem to drive Māori innovation? What are 2-3 core values that drive modern innovation?
Māori Innovation Values:
Modern Innovation Values:
Choose one domain from the chart. What are the main strengths of the Māori approach in that domain? What are its weaknesses? What about the modern approach?
Chosen Domain: ____________________
Māori Approach Strengths/Weaknesses:
Modern Approach Strengths/Weaknesses:
Imagine you are designing a new technology or system for one of the domains. How could you combine the principles of both Māori and modern innovation to create a better, more sustainable, and more equitable solution?
Domain & New Idea:
How it combines both approaches:
Level 3–4: Investigate social, cultural, environmental, and economic questions; gather and evaluate evidence from diverse sources; communicate findings and reasoning clearly for different audiences and purposes.
Level 3–4: Read, interpret, and evaluate information texts; write clearly and purposefully for specific audiences; apply critical thinking skills to evaluate sources and construct well-reasoned responses.
Reflect on your learning. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?
This resource sits within a kaupapa that recognises mātauranga Māori as a living knowledge system with its own frameworks, values, and ways of understanding the world. The New Zealand Curriculum calls for learning that reflects the bicultural partnership of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which means every subject area has an obligation to engage authentically with Māori perspectives — not as cultural decoration but as substantive contributions to how we understand our topics. The concepts of manaakitanga (care for others), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whanaungatanga (relationship and belonging), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) provide a values framework applicable across all learning areas, and all are relevant to the work in this handout.
This handout is designed to be used alongside other resources in the same unit. Related materials are linked in the unit planner. All content is provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.
Students will engage with this resource to develop a decolonised understanding of Aotearoa's history — reading the past through the eyes of tangata whenua, examining primary sources critically, and understanding how colonisation continues to shape the present. This unit centres mana Māori as the starting point, not a footnote.
Scaffold support: Provide annotated source analysis frames for entry-level access — guiding students through the OPCVL or SOLO process step by step. Offer extension tasks asking students to compare a colonial-era source with a contemporary Māori account of the same event, analysing how the historical narrative has been contested and reclaimed.
ELL / ESOL: Primary source language (particularly 19th-century English) presents specific challenges — pre-read sources with students and pre-teach archaic or specialist vocabulary. Allow students to express historical analysis in their home language first before translating to English. Bilingual glossaries support engagement without reducing intellectual demand. Some ELL students may bring first-hand experience of colonisation from other contexts — honour these as valid comparative perspectives.
Inclusion: Decolonised history can surface difficult emotions for Māori students encountering colonial violence and injustice in the curriculum for the first time. Create a trauma-informed classroom. Neurodiverse learners benefit from chunked tasks and clear analytical scaffolds. Ensure all students understand that the purpose of this unit is not guilt but understanding — and that understanding is the foundation of partnership and change.
Mātauranga Māori lens: Decolonising history means more than "adding Māori perspectives" — it means recognising that the dominant historical narrative itself is a colonial artefact. Whakapapa is an alternative historical framework: tracing connections, obligations, and continuity across time. The NZ Wars were not distant events — their consequences live in land ownership patterns, economic disparities, and community structures today. Tino rangatiratanga — the right of self-determination — was not surrendered at Waitangi and has been asserted continuously through protest, legislation, and resurgence. Teaching this history is an obligation of Te Tiriti partnership.
Prior knowledge: Students benefit from foundational knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi and its context. No specialist prior knowledge required for entry-level source analysis tasks — scaffolds are provided.