supporting tiriti-based curriculum delivery in mainstream early ...

child-initiated. There was, however, one solution to the dilemma that was
considered viable, as the supervisor suggested:
I personally feel that child-initiated in the bicultural curriculum, the
thing that can bind them is the environment. If we have something in the
environment: visual. So maybe firstly they want to go and interact,
secondly perhaps they won‟t, but if the teacher takes an interest and role
models, they will come and gradually it will become part of them (Tr: D.
1/4/04).
Taking on D‟s suggestion and enhancing the environment to make Tiriti-
based pedagogy visible was the action upon which Case Study One staff decided.
The action research meetings were unstructured, but subsequent reviews
of transcripts showed one of the emergent strengths from which to build positive
progression was Tiriti-based excursions. One of the challenges that consistently
faced the teachers was the ethical dilemma of speaking te reo Māori when it was
not their own language. Finally, an area that was both a challenge and a triumph
was that of professional development.
5.2.1 Excursions
Excursions were an integral part of the philosophy and practices within the
group to which this centre belonged. A van of 10 children and teachers went into
the community every day, sometimes all from one centre and sometimes from more
than one of the centres. Over the time of the research, Tiriti-based experiences
became the focus of several excursions. A group of children from Case Study One
went to the local Polynesian festival where most of the time was spent watching the
Māori display. They were guided in this by the Māori teacher from the other centre
who had joined them to go to the festival:
Cultural festival, mainly we had a look at the Māori display. We saw the
haka … When we got back at the centre … some of the children
performed for the others (Jl: Y. 19/03/04).
Children were able to enjoy the experience of watching the haka at the
festival, and learnt some of the protocols from the Māori teacher. They were able
to reproduce the actions back at their centre and encourage other children to join in.
It is likely that children had previously seen the haka performed, for example, on
television at the beginning of All Black rugby matches, as Ritchie and Rau (2008)
reported from their research. It is from these beginnings that children and teachers
can build their knowledge and skills.
159