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

do it „all by myself‟. I did not want to „bother‟ Māori whom, I believed had more
important things to do than educate me. Including Māori-friendly in the continuum
was thus initially based on my own experience but general observations and
discussions with teachers over a number of years persuaded me that this category is
a valid distinction to make. It was not, however, a matter that surfaced specifically
within this study, because creating and testing a continuum such as the one I am
proposing was not an objective of this study when it was first mooted. However,
as with all investigations, some understandings and findings emerge as the research
proceeded.
Rather than Māori-friendly, Johnston advocates that educators should be
Māori-centred. What this means is that Māori need to be at the centre of decision
making in education. This would address the “unequal power-relations between
Māori and Pākehā by incorporating appropriate decision-making forums for Māori”
(Johnston, 2001, p. 13). If Māori self-determination were to be the ultimate goal in
early childhood education, this approach would clearly work for Māori. However,
if equal partnership is desired, then compromise and collaboration will be
necessary between Māori and early childhood teachers. This is the fourth stage of
the continuum – Māori co-construction. In this stage Māori and early childhood
teachers work in partnership to co-construct their whāriki. This would necessitate:
constructive working relationship…so that ECE professionals and Māori
will be able to benefit each other in a mutually supportive role, and like
Te Whāriki, the relationship should „flow‟ and be flexible according to
the philosophy and values of that centre (Lavinia Tamarua, personal
email: 9/5/09).
In other words, with strong leadership and a committed team, each centre
would weave, with Māori, a co-constructed whāriki that works for both parties.
Teachers would gain confidence and knowledge as they become exposed to further
ideas of Tiriti-based pedagogy, and thus, move along the continuum. In this study
the first stage, Māori-superseded, was demonstrated by respondents to the
questionnaire. Māori-reliant, the second stage of the continuum, was illustrated by
participants from both Case Study One and Case Study Three and by respondents
to the questionnaire. As noted above, the third stage was not a focus of this
research but emerged over time from my own experience, observations, and
discussions with teachers. Finally, D and Alison as leaders from Case Study One
246