Introduction
I would like to discuss an important practice, namely Tikanga. I use Tikanga to explain how things are supposed to be done in New Zealand. Comprehending the concept of Tikanga is important because it accentuates essential aspects of children’s education, such as praying that takes place after meal consumption. I think that understanding Tikanga would enrich the perception of other students of the Maori culture – after all, it provides insight into how children socialize and carry on the cultural knowledge and experience.
I also think that the reason why this transition of knowledge across generations is effective lies in the application of the three Ps of the Treaty of Waitangi – partnership, participation, and protection of moral values. As depicted in the HC, learning and participation in prayers allows children to improve their memory. Once children are taught the importance of prayer at a tender age, it is enshrined in their memory. Online discussions have supported my learning by showcasing how important prayers are for the continuation of Maori culture. I would like to ask whether prayers alone are the most effective way of preserving Maori culture.
Understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is one of the most critical documents in New Zealand’s history. It legitimized British efforts to colonize New Zealand. After the signing of the Treaty, New Zealand became a British colony in 1840 (Campbell & Gordon-Burns, 2017). The document was created to crystalize power in the presence of over five hundred Maori chiefs. The key reason why the chiefs signed the Treaty was to get control over their lands and sell their parcels to British investors (Orange, 2015). Some chiefs, however, did not sign the Treaty because they wanted their freedom (Williams et al., 2017). However, the Treaty was drafted initially in English and later translated into Maori. The Maori translation did not have a similar meaning to the original version written in English. The Treaty, however, transferred all authority over land and the Maori people to the queen of Britain (Rameka, 2021). The Treaty is fundamental for children’s development because it contains principles and clauses that support children’s learning.
Three critical articles in the Treaty caused division between the chiefs and the Britain monarch. The first article transferred the sovereignty of the land to the queen (Orange, 2015). The second article gave the chiefs powers to own parcels of land and forests and can sell them to British tycoons (Thomas et al., 2017). The third article gave the Maori people protection as the queen subjects and was titled to enjoy all the rights as the Britons. My education journey has been enhanced by the three principles of the Treaty, which are critical to learning (Hill & Sansom, 2010). The Treaty has been selected to be among the eight principles of the curriculum in New Zealand. The three Ps of the Waitangi treaty not only explained how the Maori indigenes were to be treated but can also be used to get a learner-centered approach when teaching children (Macfarlane & Macfarlane, 2012). The principle of partnership, protection, and participation helps make children understand their land’s principal values and traditions.
A person’s day-to-day life depends on interaction with other people. Commitment to the three fundamental principles of the Waitangi treaty will likely increase relationships and productivity. For example, partnerships in the education domain help students learn through inquiry-based learning (Mead, 2016). Protection is critical in interaction as it helps both parties in a project feel appreciated (Chan, 2019). For example, when teaching children in New Zealand, using the Maori language helps protect the people’s cultures and make them feel safe (Crocket, 2013). As the world globalizes, the principles will facilitate interaction with other people at work. Participation is critical when teaching children because ensuring every kid participates in the learning enhances their memory (Highfield & Webber, 2021). The knowledge and commitment to the principles laid down in the Treaty help children learn effectively (Te whāriki, 1996). As a professional, the key takeaway from the Treaty includes ensuring that children participate in the learning process for effective results.
Since the Treaty is an essential treaty in New Zealand, it will likely play a significant role in making me comply with the new curriculum. The Maori cultural knowledge is rich in moral perspectives such as Te Whatu Pōkeka, which illustrates spiritual well-being, boundaries to all actions, and celebration without alcohol, respectively (Walker, 2008). Therefore, the Treaty and the Maori cultural knowledge form the moral philosophy to guide what is needed to coexist well with other people in the society (Carr, 2020). Commitment to the three cultural views guides people to have peace of mind and a better quality of life.
Practices That Could Support the Developmental Domains
The Maori culture has been preserved over the ages, and its history remains iconic. Despite being colonized by the British, the Maori maintained their history courtesy of their ability to maintain the fight for equality (Lee et al., 2013). Today, the Maori culture makes New Zealand a unique country with equality and indigenous acceptance, making it an exceptional tourist destination (O’Sullivan, 2021). Numerous cultural practices have made the country stand out culturally. Two of the most relevant practices reflecting the Maori culture are Tangata whenuatanga and pūrākau.
Tangata whenuatanga
Description
The practice affirms that the Maori learners belong to their culture and allow them to participate in events that strengthen their cultural comprehension. The practice involves contexts where learners understand their language, cultural identity, and relationship with them (Meihana, 2021). The practice is an amalgamation of socio-cultural, place-based, and knowledge of the whenua (Durie et al., 2017). When children develop their identity, they can chart their way forward for the future (Maranga Ake, 2020). Children are the future of a country, and when they learn to understand traditions and perpetuate them, the culture will be preserved.
Behavioral indicators must be present for a teacher to qualify to teach the standard. The bicultural standards of the country are all included in the practice and ensure that students understand their rich culture (Hetaraka, 2019). The Tangata whenuatanga is based on critical pedagogy assisting the learners in knowing which cultures dominate the country and how to maintain or reclaim the dominance. The practice suffered greatly in the 1867 native schools act, where the Maori was assimilated into the pakeha society. Consequently, language, identity, and the entire Maori culture were affected (Warren et al., 2017). The history of mana and Whenua is preserved through the practice (O’Sullivan et al., 2021). The practice has been evolving, and regardless of the transformations in the education sector, the themes that always reverberate are identity, language, culture, and a sense of belonging.
How the practice can be implemented in an Early Childhood Center
The implementation of Tangata whenuatanga in early childhood centers starts with the employment of competent teachers. The teacher has to understand the history of the Maori culture and practices revered since the colonial era (Macfarlane, 2019). The children should be asked to recite the prayers before meals, and more emphasis should be put on the rituals’ importance (Severinsen et al., 2020). Before classes start, welcoming rituals must be performed every morning to ensure that they learn through experience. When learners can share the cultural practices conducted at home, they will understand them better (Skerrett & Ritchie, 2021). The school curriculum in the early childhood centers must involve cultural practices such as dances and oral narratives that are likely to make students understand their culture.
Relationship with Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The implementation of the Tangata whenuatanga is made possible through the application of the three Ps. Learning can be a success whenever the teachers partner with the parents (Sexton, 2022; Royal Tangaere, 2000). Protection is the process of ensuring that the values of the Maori people are maintained through all the actions taken (Seve-Williams et al., 2017). Making te reo Maori the official language in the learning center is one way of protecting their cultural heritage and ensuring that it does not become extinct. Participation is one of the essential principles of the Treaty that can be used to offer practical learning in the centers (Kenwright et al., 2021). When the children learn through participating, they better understand all the concepts learned in the classrooms.
Whanaungatanga
Description
The whanaungatanga is a critical practice that ensures a positive working relationship between learners, parents, and the whanau. The practice values all the essential things that help bring people together (Greaves et al., 2021). Teaching children whanaungatanga gives them the critical foundation for cohesion, unity, and a sense of belonging. It is imperative to note that the traditional means used to bring people together in New Zealand may be obsolete, and investment in recent technologies would help keep people together (Douglas, 2022). The principle is practiced by sustaining the given relationship, and it can be implemented by instructing students to solve problems in groups and form working groups for several problems.
Therefore, a teaching strategy should revolve around nurturing values through cooperation. The first professional goal is to ensure cultivation of positive relationships. It can be accomplished by connecting all activities with values and highlighting why values are so important (Ross, 2020). The second goal is to develop a positive relationship between the teachers and the students and ensure that it is sustained. The ultimate result should be the whanau and the entire community feeling welcome at the school because children understand relationships through forming and sustaining them.
How the practice can be implemented in an Early Childhood Center
Whanaungatanga is implemented through the creation of shared experiences in the centers. The primary way of demonstrating practice is by installing rituals in the centers that support bonding, such as sharing kai, farewell, and welcoming visitors. Teachers must divide the children into groups that work together and allow a member of the group to present the outcomes (Hamley et al., 2022). Further, team-building activities are critical to ensure that the learners know each other and create relationships that help them improve their lives (Foster-Cohen & van Bysterveldt, 2016). When older and younger children are made to work together, it can enhance peer teaching and make them create a relationship for learning. In the classroom, a particular lesson should be set aside to ensure that the children share their experiences and hence develop relationships (Douglas, 2022). Appreciating how family relationships are formed and maintained is critical. Teachers employed at the centers must have a basic knowledge of the Maori culture and create relationships with the children for a better outcome.
Relationship with Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is essential in ensuring that people are well prepared to enhance relationships between people in the children’s learning centers. Rangatiratanga is an important concept used in the Treaty to determine who was fit for the chieftaincy title (Ruru & Kohu-Morris, 2020). Although these criteria are no longer relevant, they provide valuable insight into understanding the formation of the current Maori mindset. Teachers have to know these nuances in order to be able to properly explain the significance of the Treaty to children (Zink, 2020). The principle of participation is also effective because it ensures that students participate in all cultural activities constituting the essence of Maori traditions.
Conclusion
Altogether, it should be evident that the Waitangi treaty is an important document that significantly influenced the development of pedagogy in New Zealand. Teachers’ role is to impart the knowledge of society’s fundamental values, and the Treaty is the most evident source of Maori beliefs. Specifically, three principles outline the essence of the culture that has to be absorbed by children – partnership, participation, and protection. There are numerous cultural practices reflecting these principles in some way. However, two of the most relevant ones are whanaungatanga and Tangata whenuatanga. Both play an important role in educating children and serve as connecting links between older and younger generations.
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