A struggle for land and sovereignty
Mana was central to all political and economic relationships in traditional Māori society and has continued to shape internal and external interactions. This resource shows how three texts from the School Journal series can be used to support learning in the context of tūrangawaewae me te kaitiakitanga through the various ways that Māori tried to resist colonialism, retain land, and assert mana motuhake.
About this resource
The texts have been chosen because of their links to Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum in years 7–8 and not for their reading year level. Depending on your students, you might read some of them aloud. There is also additional teacher support material that provides suggestions for literacy strategies to help all students access each text.
A struggle for land and sovereignty
These texts provide a springboard for students to explore:
- contests of authority and control in Aotearoa New Zealand, with a focus on the New Zealand Wars and events that followed
- strategies that Māori used to resist British and settler-government troop hostilities
- examples of pan-tribalism in response to rapidly escalating immigration, aggressive land acquisition, and Crown hostility.
Each text provides a stand-alone learning opportunity, but they can be used together to explore the topic more deeply.
Over years 7–8, students will have many opportunities to learn in this topic, deepen their understandings, and grow their critical thinking about the past.
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Connections across the Pacific
This resource shows how four texts from the School Journal series can be used to support learning in the context of whakapapa me te whanaungatanga through the topic of voyaging.
1 of 2A sense of place
The relationships of individuals, groups, and communities with the land, water, and resources are reflected in the names of places and in the stories we tell about them. This resource shows how five texts from the School Journal series can be used to support learning in the context of tūrangawaewae ...
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