February 25, 2022
Flavell Fulbright focus on indigenous youth
This year’s Ngā Pae o te Maramatanga Fulbright scholar says he’s keen to see how the experience of Native American youth compares with that of rangatahi Māori.
Will Flavell is heading for the University of Massachusetts Boston at the end of the year to research how language, identity and culture feature in the schooling experience of Native American youth.
The teacher and Henderson-Massey Local Board member says he’s looking at what he can bring home, both from Boston and across the border in Canada where he also hopes to spend time with First Nations groups.
“I want our rangatahi Māori here to recognise there may be struggles with other indigenous young people around the world. With those struggles come really viable solutions and those solutions can only come from our indigenous communities,” he says.
Dr Flavell says the immersion in academic research doesn’t mean an end to his political ambitions, and he sees education, political and community issues being intertwined.