values in the new zealand curriculum - Ministry of Education

allows Māori children to grow and have confidence and pride in themselves “to achieve to
the best of their ability” (p. 26).
Te reo. Pere (1997) notes that language is the “lifeline and sustenance of a culture [which
also serves to] transmit the values and beliefs of a people” (p. 9). Mutu (1998) agrees,
stating that te reo provides a unique means of distinguishing identity for tribal groups and
underscores a plethora of idioms and nuances specific to such groups.
Tikanga. Durie (1998) notes that custom as a definition of tikanga “does not denote a
static set of rules” (p. 21). He expands on this,, stating that tikanga are “guides to moral
behaviour” which are often determined through consensual processes, based both on the
issue at hand and on tribal precedents. According to Durie, tikanga “is as much a
comment on process as it is on fixed attitudes or knowledge” (p. 23).
Taonga. A misconception of taonga, which is often defined as treasure, is that it is an
object thus implying notions of belonging and/or ownership. For Māori, taonga is more
about their role in the safekeeping of all things precious and particularly highly prized
resources. In this way, sayings such as “he taonga te mokopuna” (the grandchild is a
treasure) denote a much stronger bond and responsibility for the protection of such
treasures. Taonga was interpreted in Article Two of the Treaty of Waitangi as meaning
other objects, which, in a Māori sense extends beyond physical objects and refers also to
cultural properties such as language, land and family (Durie, 1998, p. 23).
Bishop and Glynn (1999) state that a metaphoric meaning of taonga tuku iho, which they
translate as cultural aspirations, is “the cultural aspirations Māori people hold for their
children” (p. 11).
Whakawhānaungatanga. Bishop and Glynn (1999) define whakawhānaungatanga after
Bishop (1996), as being the process of establishing relationships in a Māori context. Used
as a way of addressing Māori concerns about research, Bishop and Glynn maintain that
relationships or whakawhānaungatanga – the way they are established, maintained and
manifested – is a valid educational research tool that connects researchers with those they
are researching, creating relationships that ensure accountability and commitment. This is
manifested through whānau of interest research groups, whereby collaborative storying
Values in the New Zealand Curriculum: A Literature Review 27