In a webinar, Dr Tui Summers discussed the history of Māori leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand, and some of the key principles that underpin Māori leadership, with examples of how they can be expressed in early childhood settings.
Leadership from a Māori perspective is about building on the legacy of a rich historical context of leadership practices into the future. This is reflected in the whakatauakī ‘ka mua, ka muri’ (walking backwards into the future). Leadership was of course important from the initial voyages of the very first groups of people who travelled from Hawaiiki to Aotearoa New Zealand. Leadership also took place across the social structures of marae, iwi, hapū, and whānau. Historically there were many ascribed and inherited leadership roles, including those of tohunga, ariki, rangatira, kaumātua and kuia. As happens on the marae, everyone’s contribution is valued and important, as expressed in the whakatauakī: mā pango mā whero, ka oti te mahi’ (with black and with red, the work is completed). More recently, the Māori renaissance movement, involving the reclamation of Māori land rights, and the establishment of kura kaupapa, kōhanga reo, and whare wānanga, also demonstrates many examples of leadership.
The principles of Māori leadership are derived from mātauranga Māori for the consciousness-raising mission of kaupapa Māori (in this way mātauranga Māori is distinguished from kaupapa Māori). A kaupapa Māori approach involves drawing on and enacting the principles from mātauranga Māori, choosing to use these principles to inform a range of activities, including those of the early childhood setting. A kaupapa Māori approach reflects the commitment as outlined in Te Whāriki that the mokopuna emerges from rich traditions and is linked strongly with whānau, hapū and iwi.
The key principles that are regularly referred to in an educational leadership context, and in an early childhood context, were determined from an analysis of the literature. These principles from mātauranga Māori are also those that reflect good practice in an early childhood setting. As is often stated, what is good for Māori is good for all. The key principles might be considered as:
Aroha: love, charity, sympathy, empathy. It involves caring for and nurturing others, being kind, and building trust, belonging, connectedness, and joy, as well as simply affirming that tamariki are loved. It is strongly linked to whakawhanaungatanga, wairua, and manaakitanga.
Mana: prestige, status, reputation and Manaakitanga: hospitality, taking care of others, treating people with care. Made up from the words ‘mana’ and ‘aki’ (derived from ‘ake ake’) to mean ‘uplift’, it is about strengthening, enhancing, and protecting mana. This can be achieved by being generous, respectful, and affirming, as well as by things like taking responsibility for your mistakes.
Mauri: life force, present in both living and non-living beings, and in animate and inanimate objects. This means landmarks, trees, houses, and rivers can be acknowledged as living things, and that space and time can also have mauri.
Tangata whenuatanga: connections to the land, space, and place. It is recognised when Māori and their cultural background and context, particularly place-based narratives, are affirmed, and when the unique nature of places are respected.
Te reo me ngā tikanga: language and customs. This relates to the important role of high quality Māori language in supporting culture, language, and identity, as well as supporting communities and iwi through language revival and survival. It is important to take opportunities to learn and expand your knowledge of te reo me ngā tikanga, to ensure that, for example, language use isn’t restricted to commands and directives, but includes a variety of kupu, kīanga, and whakatauakī.
Wairua: spirituality, cosmology. Wairua is strongly connected to Papatūānuku, which means that children’s wairua can be supported through connections with nature.
Whakapapa: kinship, family connections, genealogy. Whakapapa is about the layers, and deep-rooted narratives of what things are and how they came to be, and applies to mountains, lakes, and plants as much as to people.
Whanaungatanga: relationships and connectedness. This is about supporting respective and authentic relationships and partnerships, and including whānau, hapū, and iwi in the early childhood context. A close relationship with a kaumātua or a kuia can be really helpful to help you to reflect on how to enact whanaungatanga in everyday practice.
The principles are highly nuanced, can look different in different contexts and for different groups, and are evolving and developing further meaning and interpretation over time. That means there is not a one-size-fits-all way to enact mātauranga Māori or practice kaupapa Māori. Therefore Tui’s interpretation (and this resource based upon it) should be considered one possible interpretation of the principles.
It is important to engage with iwi, hapū, and whānau in order to develop an appreciation of the subtle and nuanced interpretations of these principles in practice, and to develop meanings that have depth and breadth within a particular context. The principles are strongly interrelated and interdependent, rather than discrete entities, and mutually inform each other. Making an ongoing commitment to learning about mātauranga Māori and these principles for kaupapa Māori is a really important action on the part of the leader to promote kaupapa Māori in their settings, and involves being open to an ongoing learning process in which you develop deeper understanding of the principles and what they might look like in your context.
Kaupapa Māori is about Māori for Māori, sometimes argued to also be by Māori. However, it is important not to designate kaupapa Māori activities to Māori in your setting, or rely on Māori to further this kaupapa, but to take responsibility and accountability for learning about and enacting this kaupapa for yourself, even if this can feel uncomfortable and risky. This is important in honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand, and in enacting responsibilities to preserve the identity, language, and culture of tangata whenua.
For more information, read this guide written by Dr. Tui Summers.
