Research publications

“In the end, decolonization simply means having faith that we can still be brave enough to change an imposed reality”—Moana Jackson (2018, p. 2) 

This paper explores the origins of the term “decolonisation” and its various definitions within the literature. It also gives some examples of contemporary usage. In this paper we privilege the work of Māori and Indigenous writers who have paved the way for the ongoing work of decolonising education in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Ready for Partnership? will help you to create written or visual texts which welcome ākonga Māori. We hope that this tool will give you ways of reflecting on texts as you create them, before you then go on to do further work with kaupapa Māori colleagues. 

Ready for Partnership? has two sections. Section 1 provides seven lenses which focus on the ways in which we’re using various Māori cultural perspectives when creating texts, and Section 2 presents some annotated examples which show how the tool may be used.

This report focuses on the perspectives of whānau Pasifika as they express their attitudes and beliefs about what success looks like for their tamariki and why success is important. It employs the Indigenous practice of wayfinding to frame discussions of success through a range of values whānau Pasifika hold, and supportive characteristics they enact that steer their tamariki towards achieving their educational aspirations.  

"Those concerned about the future of te reo Māori must work to ensure that the values listed in the Māori Language Act become a reality for all who call Aotearoa New Zealand home. We must ensure that they are not simply the aspirations of a few, but are threads firmly woven into the social fabric of the country."

This publication is a presentation given by Dr Richard Benton, the founder of Te Wāhanga and lead of the landmark Survey of Language Use in Māori Households and Communities 1973-1978.