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

traditional rituals that are still expressed today on marae. In the transition from
childhood to adulthood, supporting the work of the marae, for example in the
kitchen, is seen, therefore, as an important contribution (Bird & Drewery, 2000).
According to Walker, (2003) mana tangata affords opportunities equitably for both
Māori and Pākehā worldviews. Moreover each child‟s contribution is uniquely
valued.
Strand Four – Mana Reo Communication
Prior to European and particularly missionary contact, Māori language
was purely oral (Pere, 1997). The first words children were taught were their
mother‟s and then their father‟s names. They were told stories of their ancestors –
repeatedly, until they were memorised (Makereti, 1998). However, contact with
English speakers and later, education in the English medium, eroded the use of te
reo Māori. It did so to the point where Benton (1979) expressed concern that fluent
speakers of te reo Māori had dropped to fewer than 20% of the Māori population.
Most fluent speakers were middle-aged or elderly. Wharemaru (with Duffie)
(1997) recalls her father distinguishing for her the importance of learning te reo
Māori for home and English for school. She believes she grew up with the best of
both language worlds, which is supported in international literature (National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), 1996). It is in the
following chapter that a fuller discussion on bilingualism occurs.
In response to diminished knowledge of te reo Māori, early childhood
language nests, Te Kōhanga Reo, were established in the 1980s, to be later
followed by Kura Kaupapa (primary school). It is now possible for children in
Aotearoa New Zealand to be educated in te reo Māori from early childhood to
tertiary level. Walker (2003) believes Te Whāriki directed that language and
symbols of both Māori and Pākehā should be promoted and protected. However, it
is the language and symbols of Māori that mainstream educators struggle with and
this is the reason for this thesis.
Strand Five – Mana Aotūroa Exploration
Exploring their environment is an essential aspect of what children do in
the early years; children learn through active exploration of their environment (R.
Walker, 2003). In addition to exploration of the physical environment, Hemara
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