Underpinning principles

We enact Te Tiriti

Kia hiwa rā! recognises that sovereignty was not ceded on the signing of te Tiriti o Waitangi | the Treaty of Waitangi, and that tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake are fundamental parts of a Tiriti-centric Aotearoa. Kia hiwa rā! recognises a Tiriti-centric Aotearoa would address many other social and environmental justice issues. It presents a vision of collective liberation through addressing colonisation and its associated values.

We take a stand

Kia hiwa rā! recognises that many of our current systems under-serve both people and the planet. Activities are designed to be provocative and disrupt the status quo. We encourage learners to question the structures and power imbalances that exist to activate around issues of social and environmental justice.

History is alive, local, and we all have a story

Kia hiwa rā! suggests ways in which Te Papa’s collection can be brought to life within a learners’ own world. Ākonga are encouraged to mobilise around issues of importance within their own rohe and community and to see the relevance of the historical story within their everyday world.

We provide accessible and engaging resources

Kia hiwa rā! uses the principles of Universal Design for Learning. Visually simple, multi-channel resources provide a smorgasbord of activities that are non-prescriptive. There are no fixed or linear learning outcomes, and any task can be picked up in any order, at any time. There are many ways to engage with the content, many ways in which knowledge is represented and many ways in which ākonga can express their understanding.

Kia hiwa rā! supports Te Mātaiaho, the refreshed Aotearoa New Zealand curriculum and brings to life the draft history manifesto of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.