Why We Teach Te Reo Me Ona Tikanga at Māpua School.
Philippa Jackson - May 26, 2022
Learning te reo Māori helps students to grow as learners. They discover more ways of learning, more ways of knowing, and more about their own capabilities. They may become more reflective as they compare what they know of their first language with what they are learning in te reo Māori.
Te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are intertwined, and so learning te reo Māori gives students access to te ao Māori (the Māori world) and to Māori world views.
As students compare tikanga Māori with other cultures within New Zealand and overseas, they develop an understanding of the central roles that language, culture, place and heritage play in shaping identity and in giving direction and meaning to life. They come to understand that culture shapes the ways people think and behave, and begin to appreciate the value of cultural diversity. They learn about the important role that indigenous languages and cultures play in New Zealand and throughout the world.
These understandings can lead students to think about their own cultural identity and their personal place in the world.
At Māpua School, we do an amazing job with growing our language and knowledge in te reo me ona tikanga. Some examples are: All classes are encouraged to begin their day with a karakia and a waiata, all classes have been enrolled in a Te Reo Maori website called Wai Ako, we celebrate Te Ao Māori by celebrating Matariki and including the community, teachers give directions in te reo, use the date in te reo, we have a strong kapahaka roopu, we have developed a new rongoa (Māori medicine) garden near the hangi area as well as a kumara growing garden too. We learn about elements of Te Ao Maori such as taniwha, local stories, and our mihimihi (our place in the big picture). Our school also distributes certificates to students around the values of Kotahitanga, Whanaungatanga, Māramatanga and Rangatiratanga. There are many more ways that we, as teachers (Kaiako) and learners (akonga) adhere to the Treaty and the NZ Curriulum within our Māpua School planning and practice.
Below is a whakatauki - a proverb. It can be described as meaning 'Like food and water is sustenance for the body, language is sustenance for your culture, without it, the culture would die.'
He puna wai, he puna kai, he puna reo, he puna ora, ita a ita.
A spring of water, a bountiful spring, a spring of language, a spring of health, hold fast.