Lesson 6: Narrative Power
Weaving Stories: Media, Bias, and Indigenous Voice
Lesson Overview
Focus
Analysing how Indigenous stories are told (and by whom).
Key Concept
Mana Motuhake (Autonomy over our own stories)
Outcome
Students create a "Counter-Narrative" media piece.
Karakia Timatanga | Cultural Opening
"Ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi"
The old net is cast aside, the new net goes fishing.
New generations are using new tools (TikTok, Instagram, Podcasts) to tell old stories. We are weaving the new net of Indigenous media.
Phase 1: Who tells the story? (15 mins)
🗞️ The "Framing" Game
How a story is framed changes how we feel about it. Compare these two headlines about the same event:
Headline A (Mainstream 1990s)
"Protesters Block Progress: Road Stalled by Activists"
Frame: Conflict, Obstruction, Progress = Road.
Headline B (Indigenous Media)
"Kaitiaki Stand Firm to Protect Ancestral Burial Grounds"
Frame: Protection, History, Progress = Respect.
Discussion: Which headline makes you feel the "protesters" are the problem? Which one makes you feel they are heroes?
Phase 2: Media Triangulation (20 mins)
🔍 Finding the Truth in the Middle
To get the full picture, we need to look at three points of the triangle.
Mainstream Media
TV News, Major Papers. Often "objective" but can miss cultural context.
Indigenous Media
Whakaata Māori, Iwi Radio. Centers Indigenous worldview.
Grassroots/Social
Hashtags, Live Streams. Raw, immediate, but check validity.
Phase 3: The Counter-Narrative Studio (25 mins)
🎥 Create Your Story
It's your turn to weave the net. Choose a topic (e.g., Climate actions, Te Reo in schools) and create a "Counter-Narrative" piece.
The Podcast Intro
Write a 30-second script introducing the issue from a rangatahi perspective.
The Carousel
Draft 3 slides for Instagram: The Hook, The Facts, The Call to Action.
The Op-Ed
Write the opening paragraph of an opinion piece: "Why We Can't Wait."
Whakamutunga | Reflection
Question: Why is it important that we tell our own stories, rather than letting others tell them for us?
Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori. (Language is the life force of Māori mana.)