Blog Question #1

'To some extent, New Zealand is a relatively harmonious country. Unlike some, we are not racked by civil war over unresolved political, social or religious disagreement. We are, by and large, a reasonably tolerant nation. But, this said, there are nonetheless some bitter divides, some historical, others enduring. Rugby tours to South Africa and nuclear warships once divided us but no longer do so. On the other hand, Maori/non-Maori disputes over the resources of land, sea and air seem destined to remain long running...' (The Ethics of Teaching, Clark, J., 2005, p60)

Yes, debates between the indigenous Maori and New Zealand Pakeha, whether large or small, continue to appear in the 21st century. Of course students in New Zealand must be introduced to the declarations of the Treaty of Waitangi from an early age, but how are teachers best to deal with the undeniable differences, debates and stereotypes that still lurk in the shadows more than 160 years after the papers were signed...

Two weeks ago reports were made about the debate surrounding the latest Taonga Maori exhibition at Te Papa museum. This exhibition which includes taonga that 'have been used in battle and to kill people' excludes some members of society, which has upset a few people:
'a behind-the-scenes tour of some of Te Papa's collections included the condition that "wahine who are either hapu [pregnant] or mate wahine [menstruating]" were unable to attend.'

These conditions are believed to be protecting these women from the objects. 'If a woman is pregnant or menstruating, they are tapu' and so too are the objects used for battle. 'If an object is tapu it is "forbidden" and in Maori culture it is believed that if that tapu is not observed, something bad will happen.' The policy, however, is not in place for the general exhibition.

Although, it has been made clear, by the Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Chris Finlayson, the condition is merely an advisory that women could choose to ignore, he has not averted debate. Here is a short summary of two sides to this debate, adapted from the nz herald website:


FOR: Margaret Mutu, head of Maori Studies at Auckland University, said the policy was a common and normal part of Maori culture. Similarly, women cannot collect food from the garden or beach when they are menstruating. ‘It's just the way we are ... It's part of our culture, but it's just one that isn't well known and that Pakeha aren't aware of.’

AGAINST: Deborah Russel, prominent feminist blogger on The Hand Mirror blog, does not think the policy should be enforced in modern society. "I don't understand why a secular institution, funded by public money in a secular state, is imposing religious and cultural values on people.”

The NZ herald online have placed an automatic voting box alongside this article,
with the question: 'should pregnant or menstruating women be banned from Te
Papa's behind the scenes Taonga Maori exhibition?' For now the results show that
only 23% of readers believe this should be accepted and respected in New Zealand
society in the present time, while the majority (77%) would not agree with this
request extended from cultural and spiritual beliefs of our tangata whenua
Maori. (To cast your vote or see how the voting is currently doing, visit the nz
herald website at: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10679873).

Although, it could be interesting to hear from you what you have to say on this specific debate that is not my real concern to inform my research. The purpose of the questions attached to my blog are to get a sense of what people expect to see in the social studies learning area - what is relevant/important, appropriate for primary and intermediate age students, and interesting enough to encapsulate thought and motivation for learning?

QUESTIONS: To name but a few things, this article involves issues of gender differences, the unique bicultural nature of New Zealand society brought on by the Treaty of Waitangi, differing culture and heritage, citizen rights, and superstitious/religious belief systems. Do you feel this article could be used as a topic starter in a primary or intermediate classroom? Is it relevant and interesting in our society today (900 people sharing the article on Facebook must say something)? In what direction would you tend to drive this, or hope that your students would arrive at through introducing this article? Do you think it’s appropriate for teachers to pose these problems to students when they could potentially even question the teachers own beliefs and assumptions on the topic?

In addition, I believe it is important that teachers are well informed about what they teach, and make a deliberate decision to detach themselves from any sort of agenda when dealing with debatable issues such as this one. Teachers must be aware that they undoubtedly bring their own prejudices and assumptions about subjects in to the class (as does each student to some extent) - and these can be shared with students in an unassuming way. However, without awareness of this, teachers can mistakingly let these prejudices come through in their language use, emphasis on some points and not on others, body language, and a lack of openness to questions. This can be dangerous and unethical by making learning either indoctrinating (imposing beliefs on students, giving one side of a debate), or rather superfluous (you don't understand it, and therefore can't help students through the inquiry process either).

References:
Clark, J. (2005). The ethics of teaching. In P. Adams, K. Vossler., & C. Scrivens (Eds.). Teachers work in Aotearoa New Zealand (pp. 90-110). Southbank, Australia: Thomson/Dunmore Press.