cover

Te kauae tuku iho | Inheriting the sacred jawbone: Indigenous knowledge holders re-imagine education

Authors
ISBN
9781990040955
NZ$55.00
Digital editions available from amazon.com and mebooks.co.nz

by Maia Hetaraka

Available 14 September

This thought-provoking book emerges from the author’s personal journey through Aotearoa New Zealand’s evolving education policy landscape. Delving into the complexities of a policy intended to enhance Māori student success, the author draws from personal, ancestral, and contemporary experiences to unravel and reframe conventional understandings of education.

Originally conceived as an effort to unify diverse information, the research evolved into adeep exploration of Māori perspectives, challenging the colonial preference for singular truths. Instead, it embraces the Māori tradition of accepting multiple viewpoints and variations, fostering humility and connection.

This book navigates the turbulent changes in New Zealand’s political environment, from progressive reforms under a Labour Government to the recent rollback of transformative policies by a right-wing coalition. It critically examines the impact of these shifts on Māori education and the broader quest for a more inclusive and truthful national curriculum.

Te Kauae Tuku Iho is more than an academic text; it is a tribute to ancestors, elders, and future generations. It speaks to educators, researchers, and anyone invested in understanding and addressing historical and ongoing injustices. This work offers a blend of courage, wisdom, and a call for renewed commitment to justice and equity in education.

Dr Maia Hetaraka

Ngāti Wai, Ngāi Tahu, Ngā Puhi

Maia is interested in Māori and Indigenous knowledges and approaches that contribute to justice in education practice, pedagogy and policies. Her particular interests are in understanding ways that Māori and Indigenous knowledges can impact on, and provide solutions to contemporary social, educational and political issues. Maia has expertise in mātauranga Māori and in the historical realities that continue to impact socio-political and socio-ecological spaces. She has a primary school teaching background, which influences her interest in positive teaching practices and uncovering access to success for ākonga. Maia has three daughters and two mokopuna. She is currently a lecturer and Director for the Faculty of Education and Social Work at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland, Te Papa Ako o te Tai Tokerau, Tai Tokerau Campus.