Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness

'In order to teach me, you must know me.'
Dr Chris Edmin

artwork in local tribal language, mozambique

Solomon-Rehu (2017) states Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness as 'acknowledging who people are in terms of culture and belonging'. She goes on to say educators can do this in an 'inclusive and caring way'. 

Polynesian students at an Auckland school I worked in

Alby Fitisemanu argues 'If you do not view a student as having the ability to be academically successful, they will not be able to realise their full potential. If you view a student through a deficit lens, they (the student) will never be fully actualised'. 

Bishop (2003), while researching Maori education, argues the experiences of Māori has shown ‘consistent inequality and disadvantage’ since the ‘late 18th century’ (p. 221). He goes on to claim that ‘contemporary Aotearoa’s...main obstacle [to] educational achievement in mainstream institutions, including the classroom...is the purchase of the cultural deficit theories’. However, Bishop also argues ‘deficit notions’ can be ‘replaced by alternative methods that emphasise empowerment, co-construction and the critical importance of cultural recognition’. This model institutes the classroom as a place where individual students’ ‘cultures are incorporated and enhanced’, and where the ‘existing knowledge’ of students, including Māori, are recognised as 'acceptable' and 'official'. Also, when educators interact with students in a way that acknowledges students’ culture, Bishop argues, that new knowledge is co-created. He claims ‘such a classroom will generate very different interaction and participation patterns and educational outcomes' where knowledge is seen as something that the teacher makes sense of and then passes onto students.’

painting Maui and the Sun artwork around school environment
at school I worked at in Auckland

Eketone (2008) states the concept of Kaupapa Māori recognises Māori as ‘being Māori, values Māori culture, ‘whanau participation’, recognises the use of Te Reo and its customs (p. 2).

kapahaka (celebrating cultural dance)

While researching literature about the use of e-learning and its impact on raising academic achievement in Maori learners, 'Wahine Toa' (my collaborative learning group/ Community of Practice group) noted that Wright (2010) suggests students are ‘more motivated’ when their learning has been personalised because students can ‘access support’ when it is required. An example that demonstrates this point is ‘Claire Amos’s blog...she commented that students regularly read each other’s postings as a means of developing their own work, and even when they lost notebooks, their online work was still available’ (p. 37). Here, Wright is making the connection between using ICT for learning and enabling students, as well as their ‘whanau’, to participate in a social environment that will enhance learning. Tiakiwai & Tiakiwai (2010), after examining literature on virtual (digital) learning, agree with this conclusion when they suggest a key finding in literature noted that the benefits of e-Learning ‘removed physical barriers of distance for indigenous participation in education’ and ‘allowed flexible learning opportunities, where indigenous students were able to stay in more familiar social and cultural environments whilst pursuing continued and enhanced learning’ (p. 4).

What then, is my response to these statements or findings?

Training national teacher how to teach writing
(Mozambique language Portuguese/Shangan)

In the first instance, I ask myself, Where do I stand in regards to my views/ attitude towards indigenous learners? At different times over a period of approximately 35 years, I have LIVED and INTERACTED WITH various first nations people groups such as the Wangai (Wongi) Tribe of Western Australia, Shona (a Bantu ethnic group) in Mozambique, Karen (a displaced tribal group on the border of Thailand and Myanma) and the Hmong tribe in the hills of Thailand; taught in the poorest of the poor rural schools in Mozambique, spoke Portuguese and used a translator for communicating to isolated tribal groups in schools with 60-90 students in one class (some children with baby siblings on their back) and in some schools whose teacher had advanced Aids (with her nursing child on her back!); taught in an American Embassy (a private English speaking school) using the American curriculum to teach students from Muslim, Christian, African American, British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, South African, and Mozambican backgrounds; trained national Mozambican teachers in small villages using languages other than my mother tongue; and worked alongside children in South Auckland from impoverished backgrounds;

I can say I have had a rich experience of 1) being a minority and 2) experienced life fully immersed in cultures completely different from my own (Maori). This has developed an appreciation for acknowledging differences and, therefore, a 'mindfulness' of diverse cultures within my own classroom practice.

vehicle breaks down
at another community school
(school worked with in Mozambique )

Click below to view song by students (Language Shangan)
community school worked in while in Mozambique

Click below link to view a different song by students (language Shangan)
yet another community school worked in while in Mozambique

Using the Mauri model to evaluate cultural responsiveness, our school is definitely at the Mauri oho stage of our journey. Our students are actively involved in kapahaka (Delamere cup competition) although at a social level not competitive. Most teachers are beginning to include Te Reo within the class context and reflect this learning around the classroom environment. Some teachers have 'awoken' to the importance of focusing planning on appropriate activities and contexts that will transform Maori as learners within a school context. There are at least three teachers who are doing the digital course through Unitec. These teachers have been 'awoken' to the concepts discussed above by theorists as to ways that would benefit not only Maori learners but ALL learners through collaborative learning that is fostered through digital technology.

 

Exciting learning...dare to eat chocolate coated real scorpians

sustainable practices
learning about pest control

References

Bishop, R. (2003) Changing power relations in education: Kaupapa Maori Messages for ‘mainstream education’ in aotearoa New Zealand [1] Vol. 39 No. 2 p 221-238. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3099882?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Eketone, A. (2008). Theoretical underpinnings of Kaupapa Maori directed practice. MAI Review, 2008, 1, Target Article.

Ministry of Education (2008-12) Ka Hikitia: Managing for Success Maori Education Strategy: Key Evidence and how we need to use it to improve system performance for Maori (p 10)

Solomon-Rehu, P. (2017) Digital Collaborative Leadership: Indigenous and Cultural Responsiveness

Tiakiwai S. & Tiakiwai H. (2010) A Literature Review focused on Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) and e-Learning in the Context of Te Reo Māori and Kaupapa Māori Education: Report to the Ministry of Education Kiore Enterprises Ltd.

What is the impact of digital learning on Maori achievement?: A Literature Review. Assignment 1 March Intake 2017. Teachers from St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School. Written by Collaborative group ‘Wahine Toa’ Cilla Raukawa (Whakatohea), Rawinia Gabolinscy (Whakatohea), Sonia Dickson (Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau)

You tube clips taken by J. Dickson (husband). Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWA9fVlxS0w and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsTzpOFpYOQ