Toi Rau

Te Akoranga Kairangi

This 8-week programme is provided to University of Auckland staff members by Professor Alison Jones and other staff from Te Puna Wānanga in Te Kura Akoranga me Te Tauwhiro Tangata / the Faculty of Education and Social Work. The programme introduces participants to Māori language pronunciation and tikanga (customs), as well as a history of Māori-Pākehā relations. It is also an opportunity for open and safe discussion about how the university’s commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi affects workplace practice.

Curriculum content and level are flexible, and responsive to the needs and interests of participants.
Participants in the programme will

• be able to pronounce Māori words correctly and with confidence
• be able to say a short mihi (greeting) appropriate to the occasion
• be able to recite a simple pepeha (self-introduction)
• better understand the tikanga (‘cultural rules’) of pōwhiri and hui
• have a stronger sense of their own identity in the New Zealand context
• be familiar with key aspects of the history of Māori-Pākehā relations from 1769, including the 1835 Declaration of Independence and the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti
• have a greater understanding of their own engagement with biculturalism
• develop insight into opportunities for personal and professional practice, and institutional change

The first hour of each workshop focuses on language pronunciation and basic tikanga; the second hour on the Treaty in history, the period before the Treaty, the relevance of the Treaty to our own workplaces today. Supporting resources are available on the course Canvas site. 

If you are interested in learning more about the programme, contact Te Puna Wānanga, Te Kura Akoranga me Te Tauwhiro Tangata | Faculty of Education and Social Work.