Kaupapa Māori Theory

Learn about Kaupapa Māori Theory and how to apply it in practice, one of the underpinning theories and approaches of Te Whāriki.

Two tamarki outside smiling at the camera.

What’s this about?

Embedded within Māori ways of knowing and being, Kaupapa Māori theory is located in the land, culture, and history of the tangata whenua of Aotearoa, New Zealand. It is, therefore, uniquely Māori and assumes Māori values, practices, language, and views of the world.

Kaupapa Māori developed as a theory in the 1980s. It was a response to the impact of colonisation on Māori and involved repositioning and centralising Māori as the main focus of Māori actions and positionings. Smith (2003) describes this focus as “a reawakening of the Maori imagination that had been stifled and diminished by colonisation processes” (p. 2).

Kaupapa Māori is a theory for social and educational change. It takes a critical approach to the field of educational theory and practice to address the historical disparities and inequities inherent within society and educational institutions, including early learning services. Kaupapa Māori theory strives for positive transformations through the development of alternative educational strategies and distinctively Māori paedagogies, practices, and structures that are able to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori and "Māori success, as Māori".

Kaupapa Māori theory upholds the expression of Māori aspirations and ways in which Māori beliefs, knowledges, and learning practices can be framed and organised in education. Underpinning this is the belief that Māori are the experts and the authority on defining and implementing Kaupapa Māori theory.

At the core of Kaupapa Māori theory is the retention of the Māori language and culture, which provides the foundation for positive transformations and brings about educational and economic advancement.

Why does it matter?

New Zealand’s founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, signed by Māori iwi/hapū and the crown, is underpinned by the principles of Tino Rangatiratanga (Self-Determination), Pātuitanga (Partnership), Mana Taurite (Equity), Whakamarumarutia (Active Protection), and Kōwhiringa (Options).

The New Zealand education system, including early childhood education, has a responsibility, under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, to uphold these principles, ensuring that te reo Māori, tīkanga Māori, te āo Māori, mātauranga Māori and āhuatanga Māori thrive and equitable educational outcomes for Māori are realised. The importance of these responsibilities is highlighted throughout Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early childhood curriculum.

Te Whāriki aligns with Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Kaupapa Māori theory in recognising Māori as tangata whēnua and the responsibilities associated with Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It assumes a shared responsibility to promote and protect te reo Māori and tikanga Māori, and a commitment to ensure that “Māori are able to enjoy educational success as Māori.” (Ministry of Education, p. 6).

Te Whāriki utilises a Mana learning and development framing, aimed at supporting all mokopuna to become competent and confident learners. It stresses holistic learning, highlighting several key affirmations related to mana, including:

Mana atua: Children understand their own mana atuatanga—uniqueness and spiritual connectedness (Ministry of Education, p. 26).
Mana whenua: Children’s relationship to Papatūānuku is based on whakapapa, respect, and aroha (Ministry of Education, p. 31).
Mana tangata: Children have a strong sense of themselves as a link between the past, present, and future (Ministry of Education, p. 36).
Mana reo: Through te reo Māori, children’s identity, belonging, and wellbeing are enhanced (Ministry of Education, p. 41).
Mana aotūroa: Children see themselves as explorers, able to connect with and care for their own and wider worlds (Ministry of Education, p. 46)..

How do we apply it in practice?

Kaupapa Māori assessment
Kaupapa Māori theory, pedagogy and practice
Te Rongo theoretical framing
Te Ara Whānui me Te Ara Māori o Te Whāriki

Kaupapa Māori assessment reflects Māori perspectives on knowledge and knowing. Critical reflection is a fundamental feature of the development and implementation of Kaupapa Māori assessment understandings and practices in early childhood education. It involves a critique of notions such as:

Who is the learner?
What is valued learning?
Who says it is valued learning?
How is valued learning communicated and assessed?

The critique provides space to not only critically review "taken for granted" perspectives, values, philosophies, and associated practices, but also the development and reinforcement of understandings and practices associated with te ao Māori knowledge, language, and culture within contemporary early childhood contexts and assessment practices.

a young tamariki smiling while being shown seedlings.

Kaupapa Māori is action-based, involving practice as well as theory. Kaupapa Māori theory and practice provide a powerful vehicle for addressing Māori educational aspirations. It offers a Māori cultural knowledge framework of realistic and workable options to affirm and legitimate Māori ways of knowing within wider New Zealand educational contexts. These options may include making a commitment and taking personal and collective responsibility to:

learn te reo Māori and develop understandings of Māori cultural practices and norms and how they may be respectfully realised in practice
raise one’s own and others awareness and consciousness of the deficit discourses that have and continue to impact Māori educational achievement
support initiatives to strengthen te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori, and tikanga Māori in early childhood education, thereby supporting positive change across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Kaupapa Māori theory, paedagogies, and practices actively legitimate and validate te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori, tikanga Māori, and āhuatanga Māori.

The following theoretical framing provides an example of how Kaupapa Māori theory, paedagogies, and practices can be implemented within early childhood education. The theory relates to mana and how mana can be enhanced through kaitiakitanga.

A tamariki on a tricycle smiling at the camera.

Mana is fundamental to Māori perceptions of the world and self, with almost all aspects associated with enhancing and upholding mana. Understanding mana is critical to knowing the Māori person or child and the Māori world. Mana and kaitiakitanga encapsulate the relationships necessary to Māori perceptions of wellbeing. The framing was developed through a TLRI-funded research project, Te Whakapūmautia te Mana: Enhancing Mana through Kaitiakitanga (2020–2021), that aimed to explore ways that ECE accords mokopuna opportunities to realise mana through being kaitiaki of themselves, others, and their environment, thereby contributing to a collective sense of wellbeing. It is a guide for kaiako to develop teaching practices and paedagogies in early childhood services. The framing includes:

Te Rongo ā Tinana: Mokopuna have regular opportunities to physically engage with their worlds, including whenua, tangata, reo, tikanga, taiao, and atua.
Te Rongo ā Hinengaro: Mokopuna are supported to intellectually deepen their knowledge and understandings of their worlds.
Te Rongo ā Ngākau: Mokopuna are supported to develop emotional connectedness and affinity with their worlds, developing a sense of belonging, wellbeing, and identity with their worlds.
Te Rongo ā Wairua: Mokopuna are supported to contribute spiritually to their worlds through authentic opportunities to give, be generous, demonstrate caring and compassion, and demonstrate their understandings of aroha, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, and mana.

One of the underpinning theories and approaches of Te Whāriki is Kaupapa Māori Theory, which is expressed within the framework of Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early Childhood curriculum ("Te Ara Whānui") and the new Te Ara Māori.

Te Ara Māori was published in the New Zealand Gazette in April 2023 to provide a Kaupapa Māori and te ao Māori expression of the principles, strands, goals, and learning outcomes of Te Whāriki. For Puna Reo, Māori medium and bilingual Māori early childhood services, it provides a culturally connected curriculum pathway that reflects a Kaupapa Māori and te ao Māori perspective of Māori philosophies, pedagogies, values, practices, and language.

References

Ministry of Education. (2017). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early Childhood curriculum. Wellington: New Zealand: Ministry of Education.

Smith, G. (2003). Kaupapa Maori Theory: Theorizing Indigenous Transformation of Education & Schooling. New Zealand "Kaupapa Maori Symposium" NZARE / AARE New Zealand Association for Research in Education Joint Conference Hyatt Hotel, Auckland, New Zealand.

Useful resources

Te whatu pōkeka: Kaupapa assessment for learning (Māori)

Te whatu pōkeka: Kaupapa assessment for learning (English)

Te whatu pōkeka is an assessment for learning resource based on a Kaupapa Māori perspective and context. The resource was developed for assessment for learning with mokopuna Māori in Māori language early childhood settings, but it’s a helpful resource for all kaiako who work with mokopuna Māori.

ECE Voice Matariki PLD series

On July 18–19, 2020, NZEI Te Riu Roa, ECE Voice hosted a series of nine online PLD webinar hui around Matariki and Kaupapa Māori. The recordings of these webinars cover:

Episode 1: Matariki
Episode 2: Pōhutukawa
Episode 3: Tupuārangi
Episode 4: Waitā
Episode 5: Ururangi
Episode 6: Tupuānuku
Episode 7: Waitī
Episode 8: Waipuna-ā-Rangi
Episode 9: Hiwa-i-te-Rangi

Rameka, L., Soutar, B., Paki, V. (2021) Te Rongo ā Tinana, ā Hinengaro, ā Ngākau ā Wairua: Enhancing Māori Wellbeing in Early Childhood Education. Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing. Te Rau Ora. Volume 6, Issue 3.

This article outlines the findings from the second phase of a Teaching Learning and Research Initiative (TLRI)-funded project, Te Whakapūmautia te mana: Enhancing mana through kaitiakitanga, which involved working with kaiako in puna reo and kōhanga reo. It also discusses some of the implications for early childhood education. The project aimed to explore the ways that early childhood education accords mokopuna opportunities to recognise mana and understand ways to accrue and attain mana through being kaitiaki of themselves, others, and their environment, thereby contributing to a collective sense of wellbeing. The article is available to download for free.

About this resource

Kaupapa Māori Theory, one of the underpinning theories and approaches of Te Whāriki, is situated within the land, culture, history, and people of Aotearoa New Zealand. It represents a distinctive, contextualised theoretical framework driven by Māori ways of knowing and being. This resource discusses the importance of Kaupapa Māori Theory within Te Whāriki, how kaiako can apply it in practice, and highlights useful resources for those who want to dig deeper.