February 09, 2021
Art approach can help teach Maori history
A group of Tai Tokerau rangatahi wants to partner with government to develop a profession development programme the help teachers deliver the new history perspective.
HĀ already runs Kākāno – a five day high school programme where students are taught a history of Aotearoa from the arrival of Māori through to colonisation and asked to interpret it through art.
Co-founder Justice Hetaraka, mokopuna of Ngāpuhi master carver Te Warihi Hetaraka, says it's a good way to deal with emotions such as mamae or grief that surface when history is discussed.
She wants the government to fund similar programmes so teachers can safely enagage with mātauranga Māori.
"If our teachers aren't prepared to engage safely in our history or they don't feel confident with our history, that can create really hostile learning environments for our tamariki so we want to protect our history and our tamariki by ensuring that our teachers are well prepared and feel safe to engage in our history," Ms Hetaraka says.
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