This is a print-ready analytical framework for examining primary sources.

Primary Source Analysis Framework

šŸ“œ What is a Primary Source?

A primary source is a document, object, or recording created at the time of a historical event by someone who experienced it firsthand. Primary sources give us direct evidence about the past.

Examples:

  • Letters, diaries, speeches
  • Official documents (treaties, laws, court records)
  • Newspapers, photographs, artwork
  • Oral histories, waiata, pēpeha
  • Physical artifacts (tools, buildings, taonga)

šŸ” Five Steps to Analyze Any Primary Source

Use these five questions every time you examine a historical source. Think of them as your analytical toolkit!

Step 1: SOURCING - Who created this and why?

Ask yourself:

  • Who wrote or created this source?
  • When was it created?
  • What type of source is it? (letter, official document, speech, etc.)
  • Why did the author create it? (purpose/audience)
  • What was their perspective or position? (powerful/powerless, colonizer/colonized, etc.)

šŸ’” Why This Matters:

Understanding WHO created a source helps us recognize their biases, motivations, and power. A governor's report will present colonization very differently than a Māori leader's letter!

Step 2: CONTEXTUALIZATION - What was happening at this time?

Ask yourself:

  • What was happening in Aotearoa/NZ at this time?
  • What events came just before this source was created?
  • What larger historical forces were at play? (colonization, resistance movements, economic changes, etc.)
  • How might the historical context have influenced the author's perspective?

šŸ’” Why This Matters:

No source exists in isolation! Understanding the time period helps us see WHY people acted and thought the way they did. A land confiscation notice from 1863 must be understood in the context of the wars and colonial land hunger.

Step 3: CLOSE READING - What does the source actually say?

Ask yourself:

  • What is the main message or argument?
  • What specific words or phrases stand out? Why?
  • What tone does the author use? (angry, formal, pleading, authoritative, etc.)
  • What information is included? What is left out?
  • Are there any surprising or unexpected elements?

šŸ’” Why This Matters:

The EXACT words matter! Notice whether a document says "sovereignty" or "rangatiratanga" - these are NOT the same thing. Pay attention to what's emphasized and what's hidden.

Step 4: CORROBORATION - What do other sources say?

Ask yourself:

  • What do other sources from the same time period say about this event?
  • Do other sources agree or disagree with this one?
  • Are there sources from different perspectives? (Māori vs Pākehā, powerful vs powerless)
  • Which sources seem most reliable? Why?
  • What patterns do you see across multiple sources?

šŸ’” Why This Matters:

Never trust just ONE source! Compare multiple perspectives to get closer to historical truth. If British sources say Māori "sold" land willingly, but Māori sources describe coercion and trickery, that tells us something important!

Step 5: COUNTER-NARRATIVE - Whose voices are centered or silenced?

Ask yourself (Decolonized Analysis):

  • Whose perspective is centered in this source?
  • Whose voices are missing or marginalized?
  • How does this source reflect colonial power structures?
  • How would Māori (or other marginalized groups) tell this story differently?
  • What counter-narrative can we construct from other evidence?
  • How does this source connect to present-day justice issues?

šŸ’” Why This Matters:

This is CRITICAL for decolonized history! Most historical sources were written by colonizers who had power to create "official" records. We must actively seek out and amplify Indigenous voices, and question whose version of events became the "accepted" history.

šŸ“ Primary Source Analysis Template

Use this template to analyze any primary source. Complete each section with evidence from the source.

SOURCE TITLE:

1. SOURCING

Author:
Date Created:
Type of Source:
Purpose/Audience:
Author's Position:

2. CONTEXTUALIZATION

What was happening in Aotearoa/NZ when this was created?

3. CLOSE READING

What does the source say? Quote key words/phrases:

4. CORROBORATION

How does this source compare to others? What patterns/contradictions do you see?

5. COUNTER-NARRATIVE

Whose voices are centered/silenced? How might Māori tell this story differently?

šŸ’” Historical Thinking Tips

  • Be Skeptical: All sources have bias. Even photographs and "objective" documents reflect someone's choices about what to show/hide.
  • Seek Multiple Perspectives: History looks different depending on who's telling it. Always ask: Whose story is this?
  • Connect Past to Present: Historical injustices have present-day consequences. Understanding 1863 land confiscation helps us understand current Treaty settlements.
  • Center Indigenous Voices: In decolonized history, we actively work to amplify voices that were historically silenced.
  • Acknowledge Complexity: History is messy! People had mixed motives, contradictory actions, and changed over time.