📜 Te Tiriti o Waitangi - Comprehensive Video Companion
Literacy, Numeracy & Critical Thinking Activities
🌟 Cross-Curricular Learning Package
Literacy: Vocabulary, comprehension, translation analysis
Numeracy: Timeline creation, population statistics, data visualization
Critical Thinking: Power analysis, contemporary applications
📺 Video Foundation: Understanding Te Tiriti
Video: "Understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi | Let Me Explain" (5:19)
This video provides a clear, accessible introduction to the Treaty. Use it as a foundation, then dive deeper with the activities below.
📖 LITERACY ACTIVITIES - Treaty Vocabulary & Comprehension
1. Essential Treaty Vocabulary
Instructions: Learn these key terms. Write the Māori term, English translation, and YOUR definition in your own words.
Te Reo Māori Terms:
1. Tino Rangatiratanga
English: Absolute chieftainship/sovereignty
Your definition:
2. Kawanatanga
English: Governorship
Your definition:
3. Taonga
English: Treasures (broad meaning)
Your definition:
4. Tangata Māori
English: Māori people
Your definition:
5. Rangatira
English: Chief/leader
Your definition:
English Concepts:
6. Sovereignty
Your definition:
7. Cession
To give up/surrender (as in "cede sovereignty")
Your definition:
8. Pre-emption
Crown's exclusive right to buy land
Your definition:
9. Partnership
Your definition in Treaty context:
10. Redress
Making amends for past wrongs
Your definition:
2. Video Comprehension - Three Levels
LEVEL 1: Surface Understanding
a) When was Te Tiriti o Waitangi signed?
b) Who were the two main groups involved in the Treaty?
c) How many rangatira (chiefs) signed the Treaty?
LEVEL 2: Inference & Analysis
d) What did the Māori version promise Māori people would keep? How does this differ from the English version?
e) Why would the difference between "kawanatanga" and "sovereignty" matter?
f) What were Māori leaders expecting from this agreement? What did British expect?
LEVEL 3: Critical Evaluation
g) Was the Treaty a "good faith" agreement? Why or why not? Use evidence from the video.
h) How have the Treaty's principles been violated? How have they been upheld?
3. Critical Literacy: Translation Differences Analysis
🔍 The "Lost in Translation" Problem
The English and Māori versions of the Treaty say different things. This isn't a small error - it's a fundamental difference that has shaped 180+ years of New Zealand history.
| Māori Version (Te Tiriti) | English Version (The Treaty) |
|---|---|
|
Kawanatanga (Governorship - limited authority) |
Sovereignty (Supreme power - total authority) |
|
Tino Rangatiratanga (Absolute chieftainship over lands, villages, taonga) |
"Full possession" (But with Crown pre-emption rights) |
ANALYSIS TASK: Compare & Contrast
Based on the table above and the video, answer:
1. What did Māori chiefs think they were agreeing to? What did British officials think Māori were agreeing to?
2. Could both versions be true at the same time? Why or why not?
3. Who benefits from the translation differences? Who is harmed?
🔢 NUMERACY ACTIVITIES - Timeline & Data Analysis
1. Treaty Timeline - Visualizing 180+ Years
Key Dates to Include:
- 1840 - Treaty signing
- 1860s-1870s - Land Wars
- 1863 - Raupatu (land confiscations)
- 1975 - Waitangi Tribunal established
- 1985 - Treaty made retrospective to 1840
- 1995 - First major settlement (Tainui)
- 2025 - Today (ongoing settlements)
TASK: Create a visual timeline on graph paper or digitally
- X-axis: Years (1840-2025)
- Mark key events above/below the line
- Color code: Green = Treaty principles upheld, Red = Treaty breaches, Blue = Redress/healing
- Calculate: How many years between signing and first settlement? What percentage of NZ history has been without proper Treaty recognition?
2. Population & Land Statistics Analysis
Historical Data Investigation
a) Research and record:
- Māori population in 1840: ________________
- European/Pākehā population in 1840: ________________
- Māori population in 1900 (lowest point): ________________
- Māori population today: ________________
b) Calculate the percentage change:
What percentage did the Māori population decline by 1900?
c) Land ownership data:
- Māori land ownership in 1840: 100% (66 million acres)
- Māori land ownership in 1900: Approximately 11 million acres
- Māori land ownership today: Approximately 5% of NZ
d) Calculate and create a graph showing:
- Land loss over time (1840-1900-2025)
- What percentage of land was lost by 1900?
- What does this tell you about Treaty implementation?
3. Treaty Settlements - The Mathematics of Redress
Research Challenge: Choose one Treaty settlement and analyze the numbers:
Settlement chosen: ___________________________
Financial settlement amount: $___________________________
Land returned: ___________________________ hectares/acres
Critical Analysis:
- If the iwi originally owned 100,000 hectares and now receives back 5,000 hectares, what percentage is that?
- If the settlement is $170 million but the land was worth billions, is this "fair redress"? Why or why not?
- What can money/land settlements achieve? What can they NOT achieve?
🧠 CRITICAL THINKING - Treaty Principles in Action
1. Applying Treaty Principles to Real Situations
For each scenario, analyze how the THREE Treaty principles (Partnership, Participation, Protection) should apply:
Scenario A: Water Rights
A local council wants to bottle and sell spring water from an area with deep significance to the local iwi. The iwi were not consulted.
How should Treaty principles apply?
- Partnership: What should partnership look like here?
- Participation: Who should be involved in decisions?
- Protection: What needs protecting?
Scenario B: School Curriculum
Your school is reviewing its curriculum. Currently, New Zealand history is taught from a primarily European perspective. Māori history appears in "special topics" but not throughout.
Using Treaty principles, what changes should be made?
Scenario C: Your Choice
Identify a current issue in your community or New Zealand. Apply Treaty principles to analyze it:
Issue: ___________________________
Treaty principles analysis:
2. Construct an Evidence-Based Argument
Argument Task: Choose ONE position and build a persuasive argument using evidence from the video and your own research:
Position A:
"Te Tiriti o Waitangi should be the foundation of ALL laws and policies in Aotearoa New Zealand."
Position B:
"Modern New Zealand is too different from 1840 - we need new agreements that reflect current reality."
Your chosen position: ________________
Argument structure:
- Claim: State your position clearly
- Evidence 1: Historical fact from video/research
- Evidence 2: Contemporary example
- Counter-argument: What would critics say?
- Rebuttal: Why your position is still strong
- Conclusion: So what? Why does this matter?
🌿 Cultural Integration - Whakapapa & Te Tiriti
Connection to Whakapapa
Te Tiriti is about relationships - between peoples, between past and future, between land and people. Understanding your own whakapapa (genealogy) helps you understand why the Treaty matters personally.
1. How does your family connect to the Treaty?
Consider: Are you descended from Treaty signatories? British settlers? Later migrants? How does your whakapapa shape your perspective?
2. Interview Activity: Talk to Whānau
Interview a family member or elder: "What do you know about the Treaty of Waitangi? How has it affected our whānau?" Record their response:
3. Future Generations Perspective:
If you have children/mokopuna (grandchildren) one day, what would you want them to know about Te Tiriti? Why?
📊 Assessment Rubric - Treaty Understanding
🚀 Extension & Enrichment Activities
📚 Further Research
- Read the full text of both Treaty versions (Māori & English)
- Research Claudia Orange's "The Treaty of Waitangi" book
- Explore Waitangi Tribunal website for settlement cases
- Watch: "Waitangi: What Really Happened" documentary
- Visit: waitangitribunal.govt.nz for primary sources
🎨 Creative Expression
- Create an infographic comparing Treaty versions
- Write a speech from perspective of 1840 rangatira
- Design a visual timeline with illustrations
- Compose a waiata about Treaty principles
- Develop a Treaty education resource for younger students
👩🏫 Teacher Notes & Implementation Guide
Timing Suggestions:
- Video + Viewing guide: 10-15 minutes
- Literacy section: 25-30 minutes (can assign vocab as homework)
- Numeracy activities: 30-40 minutes (timeline + ONE data activity)
- Critical thinking scenarios: 20-25 minutes (choose 2 of 3 scenarios)
- Total: 85-110 minutes (2 lessons, or select activities)
Differentiation Strategies:
- Support: Provide vocabulary sheet with definitions filled in; use timeline template
- Extension: Research specific Treaty settlements; compare to international treaties
- EAL Learners: Pair with fluent speaker; provide bilingual resources
- NCEA: Aligns with Achievement Standards 91434, 91437, 91438
Cultural Protocols:
- Invite local iwi representative if possible for deeper perspective
- Acknowledge this is living history affecting people today
- Create safe space for students to share family connections
- Recognize students may have different emotional responses
- Connect to contemporary Treaty partnerships in your region
🔑 Answer Guide (For Teachers)
Sample Answers Available: Vocabulary definitions, timeline key dates, population statistics (1840: ~70-80K Māori, ~2K Pākehā; 1900: ~42K Māori lowest point; Today: ~850K+ Māori). Land loss: ~84% lost by 1900. Treaty settlements: Total $2.2+ billion paid out (vs. land value in trillions). Critical thinking: No single "right" answer - assess quality of reasoning and evidence use.