This blog is to provide a forum for those who work in the counselling, social work, psychology and social services field in particular those who seek information from an Indigenous perspective. Information relevant to these areas and to Maori counselling will be posted on this site. Welcome.
Friday, November 26, 2010
New Institute to address iwi challenges
By Mark Dawson
SEVEN years ago, Ngati Awa settled its Treaty of Waitangi claim and, armed with $42.39 million in land and cash, had to wrestle with the post-Treaty realities.
Its challenge, as expressed in the Deed of Settlement, was to use those resources to develop “the economic and social wellbeing” of its 13,000 members spread across 22 hapu.
Now Te Runanga o Ngati Awa is using that experience to support a new academic and research institute which will address the post-settlement challenges faced by Maori.
The Institute for Post Treaty Settlement Futures is being established by Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi, the Whakatane-based tertiary education provider.
The wananga’s chief executive Professor Graham Smith says New Zealand is experiencing a significant social and economic change as the Crown and iwi settle Treaty grievances.
“This presents an enormous challenge for those iwi that have settled or will be negotiating a settlement and this has led to Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi – in partnership with Te Runanga o Ngati Awa – establishing the institute.”
The launch of the institute is being held as part of an inaugural symposium at New Zealand’s national museum Te Papa in Wellington on Monday.
Professor Smith said the aim of the symposium was to address the challenges of realising iwi potential and aspirations in a post-Treaty settlement environment and to learn from each other’s experiences.
The symposium will look at important issues and experiences in governance, economy, cultural heritage and natural resources.
“The symposium is an opportunity to draw breath and reflect on where we have been, where we are, and – more importantly – where we are heading in the post-Treaty settlement era.”
The symposium will consist of a mix of speakers and panels, including Prime Minister John Key, minister of Maori affairs Pita Sharples and minister for Treaty negotiations Christopher Finlayson.
Professor Smith said the idea of an institute to conduct research in the Treaty settlement process “has been on the minds of those who have settled their claims with the Crown for some considerable time”.
“It was clear that much of the experience resided within the respective iwi and there was not an appropriate vehicle established for the purpose of bringing these experiences to light.
“The institute will be devoted to conducting research and analysis and running regular seminars on the work of Treaty settlements.
“The focused approach the institute will bring to this viral area will help not only those who have yet to settle but to those who have settled.”
Professor Smith said the wananga would provide the academic rigour needed to sustain a “think tank”, with the runanga anchoring the institute in iwi realties.
Te Puni Kokiri will provide support to establish an endowed chair for the institute.
Its chief executive Leith Comer said: “I envisage that this position will provide many benefits and opportunities for Maori in the tertiary sector and beyond.
“Our level of support reflects the potential for Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi and Te Puni Kokiri to work in tandem on tertiary advancement and post-Treaty settlement initiatives.”
He said the chair would be a person recognised as a national and international authority in the area of Maori/indigenous organisation, research and development.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
National Chief Welcomes Canada’s Endorsement of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
National Chief Welcomes Canada’s Endorsement of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Respect, Partnership and Reconciliation will Guide Work to Improve the situation of First Nation Peoples and Build a Stronger Canada
OTTAWA, ON: Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn A‐in‐chut Atleo stated that Canada’s endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a positive development that sets the stage for a new approach to building stronger First Nations and a stronger Canada.
“Today marks an important shift in our relationship and now the real work begins,” National Chief Atleo said. “Now is our time to work together towards a new era of fairness and justice for First Nations and a stronger Canada for all Canadians, guided by the Declaration’s core principles of respect, partnership and reconciliation. First Nations have worked long and hard to set out constructive and effective approaches and to abandon the colonial relationship embodied in the Indian Act that has held back our people and this country. We are ready to move now – today – on our key priorities including education.”
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 13, 2007. Canada committed to endorsing the UN Declaration in the 2010 Speech from the Throne. The UNDRIP has the distinction of being the only Declaration within the United Nations which was drafted with the rights‐holders, themselves, the Indigenous Peoples of the world.
“Today is important, not as the culmination of our efforts, but as the beginning of a new approach and a new agenda,” the National Chief stated. “Canada’s apology for the residential schools in 2008 was a critical moment to acknowledge the pain of the past. Endorsing the Declaration is the opportunity to look forward and re‐set the relationship between First Nations and the Crown so it is consistent with the Treaties and other agreements with First Nations upon which this country was founded. In endorsing the UN Declaration, Canada is committing to work with us as a true partner to achieve reconciliation as instructed by the courts in Canada.
I congratulate Canada in taking another step towards the promotion and protection of human and fundamental freedoms for all.”
The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations in Canada.
Jenna Young, Communications Officer, Assembly of First Nations 613‐241‐6789, ext 401, 613‐314‐8175 (mobile), or jyoung@afn.ca.
Alain Garon, Bilingual Communications Officer, Assembly of First Nations 613‐241‐6789, ext 382 or agaron@afn.ca
Call for papers: Indigenous social work practices and theories
NATIVE SOCIAL WORK JOURNAL
NISHNAABE KINOMAADWIN NAADMAADWIN
(Native Teaching & Helping)
The Board of the Native Social Work Journal, a scholarly and community based publication, is pleased to announce a Call for Papers for Volume 8 of the Native Social Work Journal. The focus for this issue is “Indigenous Social Work Practices and Theories”.
This edition of the journal recognizes that many Aboriginal and Indigenous practitioners, teachers and researchers are engaging in Indigenous practices that draw from Indigenous worldviews and which have been incorporated as best practice models in their various fields. Likewise, there is a revitalization of Indigenous theories that reflect Indigenous worldviews and contemporary contexts. It is therefore timely to invite writers to share their experiences, research and expertise in the area of Indigenous practices and theories.
Authors must submit their articles under the A.P.A. (American Psychological Association) style format. Please follow manual guidelines. Articles should normally be no longer than 5000 words, 20 pages. Papers accepted for publication will have copyright assigned to the Native Social Work Journal; articles previously published or under current consideration for publication elsewhere shall not be considered for publication. Please provide an abstract, double space all material and submit four copies for consideration as well as a memory stick copy using MS Word. An email version may also be requested.
The Native Social Work Journal utilizes a peer reviewed process in the selection of articles and is a registered member of the Canadian Association of Learned Journals.
Deadline date for submission of articles is July 31st, 2011.
Please submit your article to:
Dr. Taima Moeke-Pickering, Co-Editor
Native Social Work Journal
Native Human Services Programme
Laurentian University
Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6
(705) 675-1151 ext 5083 or 5082.
For further information or to receive copies of previous volumes, please contact our office at the phone number above.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
A homecoming and exciting partnership for Awanuiarangi
Posted: by TangataWhenua.com October 22, 2010 http://news.tangatawhenua.com/archives/7425
Dr Taima Moeke-Pickering (Ngati Pukeko, Tuhoe) the Director of Native Human Services at Laurentian University in Ontario, Canada returned last week to her hometown of Whakatane to re-sanction a Memorandum of Understanding between her university and Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi.
A special ceremony was held at Awanuiarangi attended by both Dr Sheila Cote-Meek, the Associate Vice-President Indigenous Studies at Laurentian University and Dr Moeke-Pickering.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the CEO of Awanuiarangi, Distinguished Professor Graham Smith, on his recent visit to Canada. He said the MOU will “establish a relationship which includes staff and student exchange and research collaboration.”
“Awanuiarangi is interested in developing international indigenous relationships. We want to consolidate the benchmarking of our programmes and establish an international peer review process. This issue is about maintaining the quality of our programming here,” Dr Smith said.
“It is important to develop these relationships as it provides an opportunity to grow our expertise by engaging with other like-minded academics and scholars. We see mutual benefit for ourselves and the institutions we are engaging with, in this case, one of the top universities in Canada.”
Dr Sheila Cote-Meek is of the Teme-Augama Anishinabe people and is Laurentian University’s first Associate Vice President Indigenous programs. She said the MOU was quite broad so there were many possibilities such as staff and student engagement, curriculum exchange and research partnerships and accessing research funding.
Dr Cote-Meek said there are many similarities between M?ori and First Nation people and our experience with being colonized. She jokingly said there was however one difference; “you sing, we drum.” One other difference she highlighted was that First Nation had been colonized for over 500 years and could help M?ori, in particular the healing programs that have been developed.
To further cement the relationship both Dr Moeke-Pickering and Dr Cote-Meek were named as adjunct professors of Awanui?rangi. This means the wananga will be able to call upon their expertise and for Dr Moeke-Pickering it will mean more frequent visits back home. She was brought up in Poroporo and went to school there and in Whakatane. Taima was the first Head of School of Te Toi-a-Kiwa School of Maori, Pasifika and Indigenous Studies at Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology). She completed her PhD from Waikato University.
For more information and photographs contact:
Whare Akuhata
Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi
Phone +64 7 3071467
Mobile +64 21 307327
www.wananga.ac.nz
http://news.tangatawhenua.com/archives/7425
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Settlement finally for Te Wananga o Awanuirangi
SETTLEMENT FINALLY FOR TE WANANGA O AWANUIARANGI from Waatea News 5 Oct 2010
Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell says a $14.5 million payment to Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi addresses a long-standing injustice.
Mr Flavell was the Whakatane-based wananga's chief executive in 1999 when the Waitangi Tribunal's Wananga Capital Establishment Report found wananga had to meet their own start-up costs, while universities and polytechnics had benefited from decades of state funding.
He says the settlement signed yesterday by Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples should have happened a long time ago.
“It was all there for everyone to see. It’s just disappointing it has taken four ministers to formalise this agreement bearing in mind we’re talking 10 years since the tribunal hearing and prior to that the arguments had been going at least another 10 years,” Mr Flavell says.
When he was there the Whakatane campus was all prefabs, but the settlement will allow a comprehensive building programme to be completed.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
TE KOTAHITANGA SOWS SEED OF NEW LEADERSHIP DRIVE
A hundred schools have signed on to pilot a new leadership programme,He Kakano, which aims to improve education for Maori.
Waikato University's faculty of education and Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi have a three-year $7 million contract to deliver advice, support and professional development to schools in the programme.
Professor Russell Bishop says it draws on what's been learned from the classroom-based Te Kotahitanga programme about how Maori students learn, and how schools can take the identity, language and culture of their students into account.
He Kakano or the seed is for boards of trustees, principals, heads of department down to the individual teacher level.
“We're offering them a model which is based on the book we’ve just published, Scaling Up Education Reform. That book gives a seven point model for making a difference in schools and we’re saying, when leaders at whatever level they are in the schools can implement these seven points effectively, then you will see change taking place, because that’s what we found in our Te Kotahitanga schools,” Professor Bishop says.
Schools benefit for having an outside groups like the university or wananga to help them critically analyse what is going on in the classroom.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Critical Social Work: Indigenous Issues
http://www.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/2010-volume-11-no-1-0
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
My doctoral thesis
Kia ora all, finally completed my doctorate in early July 2010. After much hard work and deciding that the scenic route was distracting, I finally arrived at completing my thesis. If you are interested in reading it, you can find it below: Taima
Your submission has been accepted and archived in Research Commons,
and it has been assigned the following identifier:
http://hdl.handle.net/10289/4148
Collection | Higher Degree Theses |
Family Name | Moeke-Pickering |
First Name | Taima Materangatira |
Email Address | tmoekepickering@laurentian.ca |
Thesis Title | Decolonisation as a social change framework and its impact on the development of Indigenous-based curricula for Helping Professionals in mainstream Tertiary Education Organisations |
Year of Submission | 2010 |
Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
Thesis Language | English |
Thesis Abstract | This research examined the social and political approaches that Indigenous peoples undertook to situate Indigenous-based education programmes in mainstream post-secondary/tertiary education organisations. Indigenous-based helping programmes assist to progress Indigenous aspirations for self-determination and are sites that center Indigenous worldviews. A decolonisation analysis framework that is embedded in the curriculum deepens students’ understanding about the impacts of imperialism, colonisation and post colonial issues. This thesis involved researching two Indigenous-based programmes that are based within mainstream tertiary institutes. The first is the Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau Maori Counselling degree programme which is based at the Waikato Institute of Technology (WINTEC) in Hamilton, Aotearoa, New Zealand. The other is the Native Human Services Social Work degree programme which is based at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. I start this thesis with “opening the circle” and situating the context for my research. Next is the literature review chapter. This chapter provides a review of decolonisation-colonisation, decolonisation frameworks within Indigenous education, self-determination and Indigenous peoples, and Maori and Native self-determination strategies relevant to health and education. I used a case study method combined with an Indigenous methodology to guide the research. This involved gathering key pieces of information as well as interviewing participants (graduates, tutors/faculty/developers) from each programme. In chapter four is the Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau case study and in chapter five is found the Native Human Services case study. Each case study covers pre-colonial and colonisation contexts and examines assimilative legislation on Indigenous education and health. The backgrounds of social work and counselling, Native social work and Maori counselling are also presented. In the case studies is the background and rationale for the development of each programme, as well as pertinent information on the course content. Chapter six presents on the findings and conclusion and chapter seven “closes the circle”. The main findings highlighted that Indigenous curricula and pedagogies embrace Indigenous theories and discourse relevant to the helping practice fields. Secondly, each programme fosters students to make positive changes for themselves, for their communities, and for their professions. Another finding is that f aculty/tutors promote an inclusive Indigenous pedagogy in th! e classr oom that incorporates cultural ceremonies, encourage personal introspection, builds cultural and professional skills, and teaches critical education. Both programmes reflected a pedagogy that taught students to counter negative narratives while instilling a critical analysis of decolonisation and colonisation. I propose that a decolonisation analysis is both a reflective and healing tool, in that students are provided with the hard evidence about their histories and what happened to their communities. I contend that Indigenous-based programmes contribute to the continuity of Indigenous culture and wellbeing of their communities and, that they play a vital role in advancing Indigenous education priorities. |
Supervisor | Robertson, Neville |
Supervisor | Dunlop, Edward |
Main Thesis File 1 | thesis.pdf |
List of Keywords | Indigenous Education;Indigenous Research;Indigenous-based Educational programmes;Native Social Work;Maori Counselling;Indigenous pedagogies; |
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Indicators of Tribal Identity in Aotearoa/New Zealand by Wharehuia Milroy
Kia ora, this article was an awesome read. For those who know Uncle Wharehuia, you will find his narrative of his whakapapa, iwi and Tuhoetanga as providing meaning and insight into a Tuhoe worldview. I appreciated the reminder of one's upbringing in a rural community, the observances and nuances of one's culture , the love of land and language, and the strength of family/whanau on one's character. Tino rawe tenei korero. Na Taima
Indicators of Tribal Identity in Aotearoa/New Zealand by Wharehuia Milroy
Abstract
This article offers a penetrating analysis of issues surrounding tribal identity. Themes of language, leadership, guardianship, tradition, whanau, whakapapa, and a sense of those things that combine to give, in this case, Tuhoe, its identity, are considered.Full Text: PDF
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Indigenous Social Work Conference, Aotearoa, NZ, 2011
International Indigenous Social Workers Wananga 2011
Wananga Title: Indigenous Voices in Social Work: Mana Motuhake - Unique Identities
Date: 1st - 4th February, 2011
Venue: Copthorne Hotel & Resort, Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Nau mai, haere mai ki Aotearoa. Welcome. We invite Indigenous helping professionals from around the world who work with indigenous peoples and communities to join us at Waitangi, Bay of Islands, Aotearoa/New Zealand. This Wananga will be an opportunity to share new knowledge and skills and to consider the clear messages that we have about our unique ways of looking at the wellbeing of our indigenous peoples.
Visit site at: http://www.ivsw.co.nz/
Wananga - A Maori (indigenous people of Aotearoa) world view would not use the word conference, but rather the word Wananga. Wananga is a time or a place when people come together to talk and to debate about the important issues of the day or of a group of people. Wananga provides an opportunity to use an indigenous framework in which to learn to teach and to research; to absorb knowledge, and to experience different ways of learning. Therefore we invite you to Wananga with us.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Kaupapamaori.com - Kaupapa Maori Website
I was led to this site by Leonie Pihama. The Kaupapa Maori website is a site dedicated to a discussion of issues related to Kaupapa Māori - http://www.kaupapamaori.com/action/14/
This website has been established to assist in the development of whānau, hapū and iwi. This site has three parts: Kaupapa Maori theory; Research and Action. I found this website informative particularly for those wanting to learn indepth knowledge and practices about research with and by Maori. For non-Maori, this site gives you information about the desires and protocols for working with Maori. For students, this is a great place to learn about Maori theories and knowledges. Lastly, for those interested in doing further reading, there is a good list of articles and references. This is a great source for learners, kia kaha, kia maia, kia manwanui. Tena koe Leonie mo wou koutou kaimahi, tino pai tenei rauemi Maori. na Taima
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Book: Healing the Soul Wound: Counseling With American Indians And Other Native Peoples by E. Duran
Review
"Healing the Soul Wound is the most innovative and thought-provoking scholarship that I've read in a long time.... Taken seriously and applied, it represents a paradigm shift that will transform theory and practice." - From the Foreword by Allen E. Ivey, Distinguished University Professor (Emeritus)"
Product Description
Eduardo Duran—a psychologist working in Indian country—draws on his own clinical experience to provide guidance to counselors working with Native Peoples. Translating theory into actual day-to-day practice, Duran presents case materials that illustrate effective intervention strategies for prevalent problems, including substance abuse, intergenerational trauma, and internalized oppression. Offering a culture-specific approach that has profound implications for all counseling and therapy, this groundbreaking volume:
* Provides invaluable concepts and strategies that can be applied directly to practice.
* Outlines very different ways of serving American Indian clients, translating Western metaphor into Indigenous ideas that make sense to Native People.
* Presents a model in which patients have a relationship with the problems they are having, whether these are physical, mental, or spiritual.
* Includes a section in each chapter to help non-American Indian counselors generalize the concepts presented to use in their own practice in culturally sensitive ways.
More info: http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Soul-Wound-Multicultural-Foundations/dp/0807746894%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa29587-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0807746894
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Reliving the Indian Problem at First Nations University
It is a shame that the perpetuation of power and control over Native education keeps continuing even in 2010. This article, gives a description of assimilative actions to subvert Native peoples from pursuing their unique and special self-determination for Native education. I found the article exemplary and well written. Have a read, Taima
Reliving the ‘Indian Problem’ at First Nations University By Jesse Rae Archibald-Barber in CAUT Magazine, May 2010.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially apologized in June 2008 to the tens of thousands of former students of the residential schools system. “We now recognize that it was wrong to separate children from rich and vibrant cultures and traditions — that it created a void in many lives and communities, and we apologize for having done this,” he said.
“There is no place in Canada for the attitudes that inspired the Indian Residential Schools system to ever prevail again. You have been working on recovering from this experience for a long time and in a very real sense, we are now joining you on this journey.”
Last month, faculty of the First Nations University of Canada gathered to showcase the academic excellence of the school. If anything, this place, this school, provides a way of recovering from past educational policies that the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs imposed on First Nations communities throughout the history of this country.
As a professor in the English department, I teach First Nations and Métis poetry, fiction and drama. One of the main issues we face is the history of the English language itself — and the most critical concern to begin with is that English was the language of the colonizer. But in the words of Emma LaRocque, English is now a tool of decolonization, a universal language of resistance.
That’s why it is so important that we teach our students to read, write and think critically about literature, as well as all the other texts we encounter every day. In the English department, we also teach creative writing, because free artistic expression is essential to the human spirit.
In addition to First Nations and Métis literatures, we also look at English Canadian works that attempt to represent Aboriginal concerns, because here we can examine many of the attitudes toward First Nations and Métis peoples that have manifested throughout Canadian history.
The most pressing concern for us today is that Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is sitting by while our school struggles to survive. The department’s minister appears to be on a mission. Chuck Strahl told reporters earlier this year about our school: “What is not clear to us, and is not completely evident, is whether all of the planned reforms that are being talked about are going to happen. They’ve got other issues that so far have not been addressed … and a bunch of other academic problems.” (CBC News, 31 March 2010)
He also said “Our government remains committed to helping first nations students access and complete their education — no matter what university they choose to attend.” (Globe and Mail, 18 Feb. 2010)
Apparently Strahl believes he knows best how to educate our students — that he has their best interests in mind. We’ve seen proud men like Strahl before — Ottawa men, who claim to know what is in our and our students’ best interests.
There is an early English Canadian writer who is of particular interest to our current situation — Duncan Campbell Scott. Among other things, Scott was a member of a group known as the “Confederation poets” and is considered to be a major figure in early English Canadian literature. But Scott was also deputy superintendent of the Department of Indian Affairs from 1913 to 1932, a department he had served since joining the federal civil service in 1879.
During his time in office, Scott defined the role of the minister and the department’s policy toward Indian education for subsequent generations. Most notably, he was a strong proponent of Canada’s Residential Schools.
To read some of his more infamous and disturbing statements — in 1920, Scott wrote: “I want to get rid of the Indian problem. (…) Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian Department, that is the whole object of this Bill.” This essentially sums up Scott’s Indian educational policy.
And in 1910, Scott also wrote, referring to the high death rate of children in residential schools, “this alone does not justify a change in the policy of this Department, which is geared towards the final solution of our Indian Problem.”
Today, history does not look favourably on Scott. Yet those who attempt to redeem him point to his achievements in poetry. Scott did indeed make a major contribution to early English Canadian poetry, but there are some poems that reveal his patronizing attitudes towards First Nations people, namely his works known as “Indian poems.”
In one entitled “The Onondaga Madonna” (1898), Scott romanticizes the loss of Native cultures. He describes a Native woman as a “tragic savage” — heroic but ultimately doomed — doomed because Scott depicts her as resisting the transition from her traditions into Canadian society: “Her rebel lips are dabbled with the stains / Of feuds.” The stain of blood on her lips is a symbol of resistance to the assimilation of her identity into Scott’s colonial gaze. But Scott depicts her as already in the process of being assimilated — he describes the child she holds as “the latest promise of her nation’s doom.”
It is here Scott envisions his colonial policy, as he attempts to redeem mother and child, by depicting them being converted to Christianity — with the figure of the mother and child posing, he gives shape to the archetype of Mother Mary and Baby Jesus. However, the Indian mother still does not passively accept her suffering with humility: her “rebel lips” still seek resistance, and this is further passed on to her child, who “draws his heavy brows and will not rest” — the child will presumably continue to resist assimilation.
Because of this, Scott intimates that the Natives are “doomed” because they will not willingly assimilate to the culture of English Canada.
Even with this brief analysis, one can see how this poem is a classic instance of the English Canadian author, or authority, giving voice to First Nations concerns — to those whom Scott represents as dying. In Scott’s view, Indians have everything to gain from assimilating.
The attempt by the Department of Indian Affairs to eliminate the so-called Indian problem is still on-going. We are living it today. Right now. Ottawa politicians still cast their gaze across the country and claim to know what is best for Indian education.
Strahl has continually claimed that his primary concern is the education of First Nations students, and that he’ll ensure they receive the same education as other Canadians. He sounds noble to some, but, at root, his actions are really a continuation of hundreds of years of colonial policy — an educational policy that has failed again and again and again throughout our history.
The First Nations University of Canada is, among many things, a response to the Department of Indian Affairs’ educational policy. The 34 years of the university have been an interruption in that policy. But you don’t just turn around hundreds of years of colonial practices in 34 years — the school must keep going — especially if the government’s apology is not to ring hollow. Join us on our journey.
The Prime Minister’s apology was important, but the substance of it is not only to be judged in the government’s words, but by action. Strahl is playing a game with our futures. Indian and Northern Affairs has us in a corner, waiting to reassert the department’s traditional educational policy. Is this the legacy Strahl wishes to leave in this post-apology era? Is this the historic role of the head of Indian Affairs reasserting itself in our time?
Duncan Campbell Scott is considered to be a major literary figure, but because of his actions and policies as head of Indian Affairs, history now looks on him as one of the most regrettable Canadians of our colonial past.
In this new era, what legacy will Strahl leave behind? How will history remember this minister?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Jesse Rae Archibald-Barber is as assistant professor of English at First Nations University of Canada.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Valmaine Toki: Representative of the Pacific on the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
GREAT BARRIER IWI NOMINATES TOKI FOR UN ROLE - Waatea news, 5/5/2010
A woman from one of New Zealand's most remote communities will represent indigenous people will represent the indigenous peoples of the Pacific on the United Nations permanent forum on indigenous issues.
Valmaine Toki is from the Ngati Rehua hapu of Ngati Wai, based on Aotea-Great Barrier Island.
The Auckland University law lecturer says she's had a keen interest in global and indigenous issues, so she saw the opportunity of a three-year term on the 16-member council as a great way to encourage Maori participation in the forum.
She spotted the notice of the election while scanning the UN site for information for a research site, and brought it to the attention of her iwi trust board which nominated her.
Valmaine Toki says her nomination was in before New Zealand finally affirmed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples, but the timing could have helped her case.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
New relationship for Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau programme
Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau Maori Counselling Relationship by Rawiri David Waretini-Karena
Te Whiuwhiu O Te Hau Maori Counselling has entered into a relationship with the Counselling Endorsement. We are creating a from parallel to Partnership relationship that stipulates that each paradigm stay true to their worldviews, but also create shared space to move into others areas in terms of sharing views on social constructionism and understanding Societies and Relationships. The foundation of this relationship comes from the model that we are constructing as a team. I am also taking this concept to another level in my own developing model.
We as a team are examining at what does the Treaty Partnership look like and how will this new vision work within a bi-cultural relationship. There have been new initiatives created within the School of Development as a result of Te Whiuwhiu O Te Hau Maori Counselling joining the School. The school has agreed to implement Karakia & Waiata in all hui. All staff regardless of ethnicity has to begin with a Karakia i roto Te Reo Maori. This has not been a practice of the School previously.
The hope is that it will filter into the mainstream classrooms where it will be a common practice amongst all mainstream classes. The impact of this for Te Whiuwhiu is that we are moving into more traditional Moteatea and manawawera and ngeri bringing us even closer to things kaupapa Maori. We also have Basic Te Reo as part of our curriculum now so these are some significant changes that have taken place with Te Whiuwhiu O Te Hau Maori Counselling.
Te Whiuwhiu currently has 14 year one students. This is quite a resurgence from the year before in 2009 where we ended up with three students. What was evident when research was done on why the numbers were so low is that Te Whiuwhiu O Te Hau had a lack of support, lack of resources and an expectation that we would fade away.
However, we have worked hard and as a result actually started out with approx 25 students for 2010 but due to DHB and Ministry of Social Development criteria of whom has decided to only fund social work resulted in Te Whiuwhiu O Te Hau losing 11 students. We do not have a year two student program running in 2010 but we have 13 year 3 students.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Indigenous Rights Declaration Symbolic says Key
Indigenous Rights Declaration Symbolic by Tracy Watkins, 20 April, 2010, NZ Stuff.
Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand's endorsement of a declaration on indigenous rights won't change "our fundamental laws or constitution".
Mr Key said it was "a good day for New Zealand" after Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples announced New Zealand's support for the declaration at the United Nations early today.
"We've always had a very proud record when it comes to indigenous rights."
But he said endorsing the declaration was more symbolic in nature than anything else as New Zealand laws took precedence.
Mr Key denied shrouding the declaration in secret, meanwhile, saying the decision to keep quiet in advance about Dr Sharples' trip to New York was out of respect for him. He did not want to steal Dr Sharples' thunder.
"If we told you Pita is going to New York, obviously people would have put two and two together. I thought it was a nice touch."
Mr Key kept Dr Sharples' trip secret even after being asked about New Zealand's position on the declaration on indigenous rights while in Canada last Friday New Zealand Time. He indicated then that decisions were still to be made.
The previous Labour Government had refused to sign, saying it was incompatible with New Zealand's constitution, legal framework and the Treaty of Waitangi.
Also it raised concerns that indigenous people would have more rights than the non-indigenous.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully told Radio New Zealand this morning that the Government would spell out areas where it would not follow the non-binding declaration.
Some of those would be areas inconsistent with the Treaty of Waitangi and mechanisms for settling treaty claims, he said.
"This is the practice that's been adopted by other countries that have recently adopted the declaration as well; it's to adopt it in principal and then make it clear that there are some (aspects) of their national agenda that cause them to do things differently."
Dr Sharples, also a Maori Party co-leader, said after negotiation his party and the Government had come to a position they could both accept.
Dr Sharples last month gave a speech in which he said issues affecting Maori had put pressure on his party's support arrangement with the Government and said it had agreed to support the declaration, but with too many caveats attached.
This morning Dr Sharples seemed happy with the final outcome and was pleased with the standing ovation his speech received at the UN.
Ad Feedback Dr Sharples said the Government had agreed to review the status of the Treaty in the country's constitution and that was about to happen.
"It is disappointing to hear that Mr McCully has viewed the joining of New Zealand in support of the declaration in such a negative way because United Nations gave us a standing ovation that lasted for some time and New Zealand can now hold its head high in the nations of the world..."
The declaration recognises the rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination, to maintain their own languages and cultures, to protect their natural heritage and manage their own affairs.
New Zealand was until now one of only four UN member states opposed to the declaration, and Dr Sharples said that had been "a great disappointment" to Maori.
In his speech to the UN's Forum on Indigenous Issues, Dr Sharples said the declaration was "entirely consistent" with the Treaty of Waitangi.
"Today's announcement restores our mana and our moral authority to speak in international fora on issues of justice, rights and peace," Dr Sharples said.
"It reflects well on the relationship between the National and Maori parties that this Government has been able to endorse this important declaration."
Prime Minister John Key said in a statement New Zealand had always supported the overall aspirations of the declaration and most of its provisions had already been implemented.
Mr Key said supporting the declaration would not compromise the fundamentals of the Government's approach to resolving treaty claims.
- with NZPA
WHAT IT MEANS
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is non-binding. It was drafted more than 20 years ago but was adopted by the General Assembly only in September 2007. New Zealand was one of four countries to reject it, though several others abstained. It recognises the rights of indigenous people to self-determination, to maintain their own languages and cultures, to protect their natural and cultural heritage and manage their own affairs.
PITA SHARPLES' FULL SPEECH TO THE UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES
(Tauparapara)
E nga mana whenua, e te iwi Onondaga, na koutou nga karakia i tuku ki te wahi ngaro kia pai ai tatou, tena koutou.
E nga mate, o tena iwi, o tena iwi, haere, haere, haere ki te okiokinga tuturu mo te tangata.
E te whare o nga iwi o te ao, karanga mai, karanga mai. Karanga mai ki tenei waewae tapu (manuhiri) mai i Aotearoa.
E te hunga ora, e nga mangai o nga iwi taketake o te ao, tena koutou katoa.
Kei te mihi atu ki o koutou maunga, ki o koutou awa, ki o koutou whenua, i takea mai ai o koutou tipuna, tae noa mai ki a koutou e huihui nei i tenei ra.
I haere mai au me te ngakau mahaki, ki te whakanui i te Whakaputanga o nga Mana o nga Iwi Taketake. Kua roa te Kawanatanga o Aotearoa e whiriwhiri ana i tenei take, katahi ano ka tau te whakaaro, me tautoko.
No reira kei te mihi atu ki nga rangatira, ki nga iwi, ki nga ropu i oti i a koutou tenei kaupapa o te Whakaputanga, hei whakaae ma nga Kawanatanga o te ao.
To the inherent powers of this land; to the Onondaga people, who have offered spiritual acknowledgement to the unseen world to bless us, greetings to you.
To the spirits of the deceased, of each and every nation, we farewell you to the ultimate resting place of humankind.
To this house of the peoples of the world, please welcome this newcomer from New Zealand.
To the living representatives of indigenous peoples of the world, I salute you all.
I greet your mountains, your rivers, your lands, (the places) where your ancestors originated, including you who are meeting here today.
I come with a humble heart to celebrate the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The New Zealand Government has long discussed this matter, and has recently decided to support it.
So I salute the leaders and chiefs, the many peoples and groups who established the foundation of the Declaration, for assent by the Governments of the world.
Announcement of New Zealand's Support for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
1. In September 2007, at the United Nations, 143 countries voted in favour of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. New Zealand was one of four countries that voted against the Declaration.
2. Today, New Zealand changes its position: we are pleased to express our support for the Declaration.
3. In keeping with our strong commitment to human rights, and indigenous rights in particular, New Zealand now adds its support to the Declaration both as an affirmation of fundamental rights and in its expression of new and widely supported aspirations.
4. Māori hold a distinct and special status as the indigenous people, or tangata whenua, of New Zealand. Indigenous rights and indigenous culture are of profound importance to New Zealand and fundamental to our identity as a nation. A unique feature of our constitutional arrangements is the Treaty of Waitangi, signed by representatives of the Crown and Māori in 1840. It is a founding document of New Zealand and marks the beginning of our rich cultural heritage. The Treaty establishes a foundation of partnership, mutual respect, co-operation and good faith between Māori and the Crown. It holds great importance in our laws, our constitutional arrangements and the work of successive governments.
5. The Declaration contains principles that are consistent with the duties and principles inherent in the Treaty, such as operating in the spirit of partnership and mutual respect. We affirm this objective, and affirm the Government's commitment to build and maintain constructive relationships with Māori to achieve better results for Māori, which will benefit New Zealand as a whole.
6. The Declaration is an historic achievement: the result of many years of discussions - 22 years in fact - and of hard work and perseverance by many people. I acknowledge the long involvement of Māori in the elaboration of the Declaration and the extent of their investment in its development.
7. The Declaration acknowledges the distinctive and important status of indigenous peoples, their common historical experiences and the universal spirit that underpins its text. The Declaration is an affirmation of accepted international human rights and also expresses new, and non-binding, aspirations.
8. In moving to support the Declaration, New Zealand both affirms those rights and reaffirms the legal and constitutional frameworks that underpin New Zealand's legal system. Those existing frameworks, while they will continue to evolve in accordance with New Zealand's domestic circumstances, define the bounds of New Zealand's engagement with the aspirational elements of the Declaration.
9. In particular, where the Declaration sets out aspirations for rights to and restitution of traditionally held land and resources, New Zealand has, through its well-established processes for resolving Treaty claims, developed its own distinct approach.
10. That approach respects the important relationship Māori, as tangata whenua, have with their lands and resources both currently and historically, and the complementary principles of rangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga that underpin that relationship. It also maintains, and will continue to maintain, the existing legal regimes for the ownership and management of land and natural resources.
11. New Zealand acknowledges and understands the historic injustices suffered by Māori in relation to their land and resources and is committed to addressing these through the established Treaty settlement process. Many Māori groups have already benefited from the transfer of considerable land, forest and fisheries assets through negotiated Treaty settlements; many more are in the process of negotiations with the Government towards settling their claims. These settlements contribute to the re-establishment of an economic base as a platform for future development. Redress offered in Treaty settlements is, however, constrained by the need to be fair to everyone and by what the country as a whole can afford to pay.
12. Further, where the Declaration sets out principles for indigenous involvement in decision-making, New Zealand has developed, and will continue to rely upon, its own distinct processes and institutions that afford opportunities to Māori for such involvement. These range from broad guarantees of participation and consultation to particular instances in which a requirement of consent is appropriate.
13. In those processes and institutions, we acknowledge that our ongoing national dialogue is grounded in the Treaty of Waitangi. We further recognise that Māori have an interest in all policy and legislative matters and acknowledge the determination of Māori that custom, worldviews and cultural heritage should be reflected in the laws and policies of New Zealand. Māori have been, and continue to be, active in developing innovative responses to issues with a strong indigenous perspective and in engaging with successive governments on possible paths forward.
14. We will continue that conversation within the relationship that the Treaty and New Zealand's constitution as a whole affords. Further, we will continue to work in international fora to promote the human rights of indigenous peoples. New Zealand acknowledges the ongoing process of dialogue and debate over the meanings that may be given to the aspirations put forward by the Declaration.
15. New Zealand's support for the Declaration represents an opportunity to acknowledge and restate the special cultural and historical position of Māori as the original inhabitants - the tangata whenua - of New Zealand. It reflects our continuing endeavours to work together to find solutions and underlines the importance of the relationship between Māori and the Crown under the Treaty of Waitangi. Its affirmation of longstanding rights supports and safeguards that ongoing relationship and its proclamation of new aspirations gives us all encouragement and inspiration for the future.
16. No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Feds Put First Nations University in Peril by Randy Lundy
The Government of Canada has put the future of Canada’s only First Nations university at grave peril. Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl’s refusal to restore full federal finding to First Nations University of Canada will mean massive layoffs and a significant reduction in course programs, likely forcing the university to declare financial exigency and eventually close.
“We cannot understand the federal government’s decision, coming after the longstanding governance and administrative concerns at the university have been fixed,” said Randy Lundy, academic council chair and head of the institution’s English department.
More than 2,000 people have signed an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, calling for the restoration of full federal funding. The letter reminds the prime minister of his historic 2008 apology for the residential schools that attempted to strip aboriginal Canadians of their culture and traditions and assimilate them into the dominant culture.
The letter notes that the loss of government funding will force the university to close when
the school year ends Aug. 31, making it impossible for First Nations university students to study in an institution based on First Nations traditions and cultures. The letter calls this “an act of disrespect to First Nations peoples in Canada and a continuation of the very practices for which you apologized in June 2008.”
The federal government’s surprise announcement last month to pull the annual funding from First Nations University, then its decision to provide bridge funding to allow students to complete their course work until Aug. 31, came after dramatic changes had taken place at the school.
The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations had reformed the governance structure
by dissolving the university’s board of governors and replacing it with a smaller and depoliticized board — a change recommended by several commissions and CAUT.
The school’s president and vice-president of administration were dismissed.
The federation, First Nations University, the Saskatchewan government and the University of Regina agreed to a partnership arrangement where the financial and administrative affairs of First Nations University would be under the aegis of the University of Regina for the next four years.
“The loss of First Nation University is a tragedy that need not happen,” said CAUT executive director James Turk. “Perhaps the federal government has the mistaken belief that the university can limp along, but once faculty are laid off, programs cut and students go elsewhere or drop out, it will be too late.”
He said there was strong support for the reinstatement of funding from opposition leaders Michael Ignatieff, Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe, whose parties “are continuing to press the Harper government in the House of Commons and in the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs.”
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
new book: Thriving beyond sustainability: Pathways to a resilient society
Thriving Beyond Sustainability draws a collective map of individuals, organizations and communities from around the world that are committed to building an alternative future - one that strives to restore ecological health, reinvent outmoded institutions and rejuvenate our environmental, social and economic systems. The projects and initiatives profiled are meeting the challenges of the day with optimism, hope and results, leading the way in relocalization, green commerce, ecological design, environmental conservation and social transformation. The comprehensive resource section provides the tools for everyone to become a catalyst for change.
This book can be found at Fernwood Books Ltd, www.fernwoodbooks.ca
Monday, March 22, 2010
Book: Making a difference in families: research that creates change By Robyn Munford, Jackie Sanders
http://books.google.ca/books?id=FbgDyyN3OhMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Making+a+Difference+in+Families.+Research+that+creates+change.+Edited+by+Robyn+Munford+and+Jackie+Sanders&source=bl&ots=FIu30lDx-A&sig=dhqmOMu8DHI9-LrDVcovwd_Ew5M&hl=en&ei=znmnS8rJMIi8Nuud9OAC&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Making%20a%20Difference%20in%20Families.%20Research%20that%20creates%20change.%20Edited%20by%20Robyn%20Munford%20and%20Jackie%20Sanders&f=false
Taima
Making a difference in families: research that creates change. Eds Robyn Munford and Jackie Sanders
Brief overview: This resource for social work professionals and students explores the challenges of doing research with families and the key methods used. Discussed are critical approaches to research with families, including action research, focus groups, and participant observation, with special attention paid to the vulnerable position these families are often in as clients of social services and as research subjects. Qualitative and quantitative research methods and ways researchers can involve participants in the process are explored. Detailed case studies of research in a variety of settings, and with different kinds of family situations, are provided
Monday, March 15, 2010
Cree retain majority intellectual property rights over research findings
Thursday, March 11, 2010
International Journal of Indigenous Peoples
AlterNative, is an International Journal for Indigenous Peoples. This site houses the AlterNative journal with a backlog of 5 journals offering a selection of Indigenous articles. As well, the site gives uptodate information on Indigenous key issues. A site well worth exploring. It is also a great site for those looking for peer reviewed Indigenous articles. See below, Taima
http://www.alternative.ac.nz/
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Paper: A Framework for Decolonization Interventions
Paper: A Framework for Decolonization Interventions by Bernard Guerin
Abstract
Colonization spread around the world and has inexorably affected millions of people over the last few centuries. There have been many scattered intervention strategies to overcome some of the long-term effects of colonization, especially for health, education and employment. With respect to the inequalities and discriminations that have remained after centuries, however, it is less clear what might make a difference on such a large scale. I review the interventions that have been tried, including: indigenous people’s movements, cross cultural awareness training, anti-racism and anti-discrimination training, decolonization workshops, liberation theology and psychology, and truth and reconciliation interventions. Some common and dissimilar themes are discussed, as well as ways forward. While provisional, it is hoped that an integrated and interdisciplinary framework might help to coordinate the efforts in local community contexts throughout the world.
This paper can be found at the following site: http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/Resources/tcc/Integrating%20Australian%20Indigenous%20content%20and%20pedagogies%20into%20psychology%20education/Workshops%20and%20conferences%20-%20Psychology%20and%20Indigenous%20Australians/Clickable%20bibliography%20of%20paper%20presentations/Guerin%202008.pdf
Friday, February 12, 2010
new book: Research is ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods
it is always encouraging to find work published by Indigenous scholars. Below are details about a new book called Research Is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods by Shawn Wilson. Taima
Describing a research paradigm shared by indigenous scholars in Canada and Australia, this study demonstrates how this standard can be put into practice. Portraying indigenous researchers as knowledge seekers who work to progress indigenous ways of being, knowing, and doing in a constantly evolving context, this examination shows how relationships both shape indigenous reality and are vital to reality itself. These same knowledge seekers develop relationships with ideas in order to achieve enlightenment in the ceremony of maintaining accountability. Envisioning researchers as accountable to all relations, this overview proves that careful choices should be made regarding selection of topics, methods of data collection, forms of analysis, and the way in which information is presented.
Shawn Wilson works in the department of rural health at Northern Rivers University in New South Wales, Australia.
http://www.amazon.ca/Research-Ceremony-Indigenous-Methods/dp/1552662810
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tino Rangatiratanga Flag
Monday, February 8, 2010
Enrolments for Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau Maori Counselling Degree
Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau - Māori Counselling)
Starts February
For three years
Applications close 31 October
Domestic Student fees are $4379 + $210 extra costs *
Study part-time or full-time
Hamilton City Campus
Are you seeking a professional qualification in the social services field, particularly one that aims to promote and validate Māori approaches in the environment of counselling? Wintec’s Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Te Whiuwhiu o Te Hau - Māori Counselling) is designed for Māori who use, or intend to use, counselling in their work or practice with Māori social service clients or groups.
This three year programme develops professional, theoretical, social, personal and cultural knowledge and skills to enable you to work more effectively and appropriately with Māori people in the social services field. These skills are tested, evaluated and applied to a range of Māori and counselling contexts including fieldwork placements.
One of the most important aspects of this endorsement is to build a theoretical base for Māori counselling, particularly in the areas of research and counselling approaches. Our vision is to join with other indigenous counsellors as part of the ongoing development of cultural knowledge and application in counselling.
This programme may be studied part-time after consultation with the Programme Coordinator.
Programme Content
You will develop the skills to:
* Establish and maintain a working relationship with Māori
* Engage in counselling and facilitation of whānau and groups for generic and specific needs in social services
* Implement strategies for effective communication with Māori
* Demonstrate the role and function of a Māori counsellor in social services
* Demonstrate Māori protocols and approaches
* Demonstrate a confident level of understanding of Te Reo Māori and tikanga
* Lead and facilitate whānau counselling
* Articulate knowledge of a range of Māori counselling approaches
* Contribute toward the development and writing of Māori counselling theories
* Demonstrate a bilingual and bicultural approach to counseling
You will study the following modules:
Stage One Course Content:
* Treaty Based Practice 1
* Understanding Identity and Relationships
* Understanding Society
* Tikanga Wānanga
* Huarahi Whakapakari
* Te Mana Tangata
* Ngā Rongo o Te Reo
Stage Two Course Content:
* Treaty Based Practice 2
* Rangahau Māori
* Te Whakatinanatanga
* Ngā Ropu Manaaki
* Whānau Tau
* Arā Tikanga
* Counselling Practicum
Fieldwork placements involve you participating in the life of an agency where counselling activities are carried out. You will be supervised during this time.
Stage Three Compulsory Course Content:
* Hauora o te Whānau
* Developing Māori Models of Counselling
* Te More
* Kaupapa Māori Research
Stage Three Elective Course Content:
* Indigenous Liberation Studies
* Special Topic of your interest
* One other 15 credit module
Transition Modules:
* Reflective Practice
* Ngā Rongo o Te Reo 1 and 2
Career Opportunites
The Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Te Whiuwhiu o Te Hau - Māori Counselling) may lead to employment in counselling, cultural services social work, community social work and iwi social services.
Entry Criteria
* 60 credits at NCEA Level 2 in four subjects, including English, or
* 42 credits at NCEA Level 3 in three subjects, or
* University Entrance, or
* Equivalent qualification
Candidates are required to indicate whether they have been convicted of or are being prosecuted for a criminal offence as some types of criminal conviction may limit the ability to secure practicum placements and therefore complete the programme.
Special admission may be granted to candidates aged 20 years or over who do not meet the specified entry requirements. These candidates may be required to demonstrate an ability to successfully complete the programme through a process of an interview and / or assessment.
Candidates will be required to provide a record of qualifications, employment history, work experience and two references.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Waiariki continues commitment to biculturalism
I found this posting really exciting with regard toward building Maori education strategies and forging new innnovations for old Maori studies departments. Given the dynamic changes to Maori Studies at Wintec and Manukau (MIT), what Waiariki are doing gives some ideas for the restructuring and retaining of Maori worldviews and pedagogies yet making it possible to be effective in mainstream institutes. Awesome mahi, Taima
Waiariki continues commitment to biculturalism, Friday, 29 January 2010, 10:36 am NZ Scoop
Waiariki continues commitment to biculturalism with launch of wānanga
Te Wānanga a Ihenga, Māori Development, Humanities and Research is a merger of Waiariki’s former Māori directorate and the School of Māori Development and Humanities. Led by Deputy Chief Executive Māori, Keith Ikin, the wānanga will not only develop and deliver Māori development and humanities qualifications, but also support projects, foundation learning and research across all six Waiariki schools.
Te Wānanga a Ihenga Māori Development, Humanities and Research will officially open its doors Tuesday, February 2, 2010.
Waiariki’s commitment to biculturalism is holistic, focusing on internal practises and forging relationships with external groups and organisations that support the institute’s vision.
“The merger will strengthen Waiariki’s commitment to biculturalism and it will provide further support to the establishment of relationships Waiariki is developing with iwi,” said Keith Ikin, Deputy Chief Executive Māori at Waiariki.
A key focus of the wānanga will be to support the establishment of the Te Arawa Wānanga (to be centred around Tangatarua marae on Waiariki’s Mokoia Campus), the partnership in Turangi with Te Whare Aronui o Tuwharetoa, and potentially create relationships with other iwi within the Waiariki region.
The wānanga houses many courses making up parts of important Waiariki qualifications including Māori studies and the new Bachelor of Māori Development, the Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Social Work) and additional social science qualifications, and teaching qualifications such as the Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education).
The merging of the two Waiariki departments will create a seamless business unit that makes sense for all involved, with two departments whose aims complement the other’s, and with a community that will surely benefit from the deal.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
UN report gives kohanga reo centres a big tick
A UN education report has commended New Zealand's kohanga reo early childhood centres for playing an important role in challenging discrimination and building a more multicultural national identity.
Unesco communications officer, Leila Loupis, said the new report, "Reaching the marginalised", looked at how countries have attempted to improve the education provided to indigenous people.
"We take New Zealand's indigenous language movement as a positive example of having contributed to the expansion of education for Maori children," she said.
The report said kohanga reo have provided a social, political and cultural focal point for the empowerment of Maori and have shown how powerful a revitalised indigenous language can be with educational and social benefits.
"With their ethos of self-help and commitment to continuity across generations, kohanga reo became a source of inspiration for young Maori parents."
The report's findings also showed year 11 Maori students enrolled in kura kaupapa immersion schools did significantly better than Maori in English-language schools.
Kohanga reo are whanau co-operatives where children and families are immersed in an environment where the Maori language can flow.
CCID: 27791
Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi of the Kohanga Reo National Trust said she was not surprised by the UN's findings.
"It was caught, not taught. That is the fundamental principle of kohanga reo," she said.
Te kohanga reo began in 1981 and the first centre, Pukeatua, was opened near Wellington the following year.
The report says there is encouraging evidence that Maori children - especially girls - are catching up with non-Maori, but the achievement gaps remain large.
Maori are more than three times as likely as non-Maori to leave school with no qualifications.
Dr Pita Sharples, Associate Education Minister, said he was really pleased with Unesco's findings and to see the efforts of kohanga reo and kura kaupapa recognised.
"It was created to save the Maori language and in doing so reinvented a Maori way of teaching," he said.
"We've taken it to New Guinea, North American Indians and Hawaii and watched them adapt."
Monday, January 18, 2010
WINHEC Journal 2010 Edition
Below is a call for WINHEC'S 2010 Edition. Some of my colleagues and I wrote a paper in the 2006 Edition called "Keeping our fire alive:Towards decolonising research in the academic setting". This can be found at site: http://www.win-hec.org/?q=node/92
These journals are a good read especially in the area of Indigenous education. Taima
See below details for the WINHEC Journal 2010 Edition:
World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC): Call For Papers
CALL FOR PAPERS
WINHEC JOURNAL 2010 Edition
The World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium invites papers for the 2010 edition of the WINHEC Journal.
The WINHEC Journal is an online and printed publication dedicated to the exploration and advancement of issues related to Indigenous education, culture and language faced by WINHEC nations and members.
The 2010 edition will be published in printed and possibly online in August 2010. The theme of this edition is Indigenous Voices, Indigenous Research.
The deadline for Papers is June 15th 2010.
For more information, including the guidelines for Papers, please contact:
Professor Veronica Arbon
veronica.arbon@deakin.edu.au This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
2010 Editor
Institute of Koorie education
Deakin University
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
The previous editions can be reached online at http://www.win-hec.org