Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership - stepping up and calling myself out!

Recently I've been talking about the Code and Standards with my tauira at TWoA. I'm pretty proud of the fact that I have been keeping a reflective journal since the early 2000s and took this online in 2008. Although some of my earlier posts are hardly worth mentioning ;) In my defence it was in the early days of Blogger. Fast forward to 2021 and I find myself reflecting on the Codes and Standards again. I and realise that I have made little to no progress in the Te Tiriti o Waitangi space (the labels world cloud proves that!) - certainly not as much as I could have or should have at this stage in my career. Hei aha, this post is about me calling myself out and setting professional goals in this space.

Here is what the profession demands for Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership

Understand and recognise the unique status of tangata whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

• Understand and acknowledge the histories, heritages, languages and cultures of partners to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 
• Practise and develop the use of te reo and tikanga Māori. Demonstrate commitment to tangata whenuatanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Reflection - 2018

I am privileged to be of Maori descent. My father is a descendant from Ngāpuhi and grew up in Kaikohe and Whangarei. I use Te Reo Maori and practice Tikanga Maori in all of my teaching practice and everyday interactions. This 'standard' is of significance to me professionally and personally, so I will look at further opportunities to embed this in my everyday practice.

Reflection - 2021

I'm calling myself out for not doing enough for Te Ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. While there are a number of reflections on this blog it really isnt good enough! Being Māori isn't really enough in 2021! You have to actively and intently invest time into Te Reo Māori and so this is the start of my next professional (and personal) goal. 25 minutes every day invested in Te Reo Māori - be intentional, be committed! Stay tuned for my development.