Week 28:  Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness

Russell Bishop in his EDTalk about culturally responsive pedagogy talks not about child centred education, but relationship centred education, where the relationship is central to the educational performance of the student.  Truly and honestly caring for our children, and caring that they learn is the key.

The children at our school come from at least 21 different countries, different cultures, different languages, different lenses to the world.  Our melting pot is made up of children who  are European (45%), Maori (21%), Asian, mostly Filipino and Indian (22%), Pasifika (9%), and other ethnicities (3%).  Our school takes much pride in celebrating our cultural diversity, and in particular our Maori heritage, culture and language.

Ferguson (2010) explains how John Te Rangianiwaniwa Rangihau, a Maori scholar spoke of the importance of Te Reo as being the essence of the culture. ‘Ko te reo te poutāwha e iri ai ngā tāonga katoa ā kui mā ā koro mā’ or ‘The language is the storehouse that holds all the treasures of our ancestors’ (p. 67).

I have worked at my school for almost nine years ago, and I’m proud to say that during that time a lot of effort has gone into strengthening the focus on our Maori learners, ensuring that they have access to many opportunities to gain success.  

A quarter of our students, 110 in all, are members of the kapa haka group and practices are seen as of such importance that they occur during school time every Thursday afternoon.  The children perform at school masses, assemblies, citizenship ceremonies and at the annual Ahurei concert, and they are currently over the moon with pride about their beautiful new uniforms.

We have a very strong Whanau Roopu, who have been a tremendous support to our school leaders, staff, students and the whole community.  They have been instrumental in providing opportunities for Professional Development for staff and supporting our lead teacher in Maori, along with our kaumatua, Rangi, and Matua Koro. They have also assisted in the celebrations of Matariki and Maori Language Week.  Our Maori community have worked hard to strengthen the presence of Maori language and culture in the school, and we are blessed to have them.

We celebrate the achievement of our Maori learners, through various means such as the weekly Principal’s Award, culminating in awards for Maori Boy and Maori Girl of the Year.  Many aspire to this throughout the year.

Partnerships between whanau and school are made stronger through a variety of initiatives such as the Reading Together programme, the homework club, and of course, through school events, such as our annual cultural dinner.

All of these activities are wonderful and add to the richness of our school.  However, it is the genuine relationships that occur between students, teachers and whanau that make the most impact on our Maori learners.  It is the reciprocity of learning, where both students and teachers have something to offer each other, and feel valued by each other.  It is the chance to see through the lens of our Maori children that matters. I believe that our Special Character ensures that these things are possible.  Our school’s values and culture mean that there is a genuine caring for each other.  And our church allows us access to another part of these children’s lives, along with the opportunity to build relationships with their whanau.

As a librarian, I ensure that signage is in Te Reo, that there are Maori books galore, and that there are cultural references to ensure that the children feel ‘at home’. My student librarians are a treasure to me, my taonga, and my relationship with these children is one of respect, love, and enjoyment.  I love nothing more than to see them flourish in their roles, and most especially foster those Tuakana-teina relationships between themselves and the children they help in the library.

So, when you boil it all down, what is really important are these things:

• Knowing our kids
• Knowing their whanau
• Understanding and celebrating their culture
• Truly making an effort, and
• Caring, caring, caring.

References

Bishop. R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T. & Teddy, L. (2009).Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5),734–742.

Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994

ERO Report 2015 Retrieved from http://www.ero.govt.nz/review-reports/st-marys-catholic-school-rotorua-02-03-2015/

Ferguson, S. L. (2010). Mai i te Whenua ki te Rangi-Transferring Māori pedagogical practices into cyberspace. Sites: a journal of social anthropology and cultural studies, 7(1), 65-77.