Week 31 Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness

Week 31      Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness.

I will use Rolfe’s reflective model to frame this:

What?

Cultural Intelligence?

Defined by Earley and Ang (2003) as ‘someone's ability to adapt successfully to a new cultural setting,’

 Cultural Intelligence is also known as CQ.

The Cultural Intelligence Center posit 

‘(CQ) is the capability to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. Going beyond existing notions of cultural sensitivity and awareness, it is important to identify the recurring capabilities of individuals who can successfully and respectfully accomplish their objectives, whatever the cultural context.’

As an immigrant to New Zealand and a “Pommie” by birth, my own life experience is one of varied multicultural immersions into the melting pot of creed and colour and I feel I had a very broad exposure to cultural differences in England, albeit from a white working class perspective. I grew up on a council estate so I certainly wasn’t privileged and I hope this has grounded my viewpoint on many things. I came to New Zealand with the absolute understanding that I was stepping into a whole new culture even though on the surface it didn’t seem so different from what I was leaving…. but we had watched “Once were Warriors!”

I would absorb as much as I could to assimilate my new world, after all I was moving to a new country and as the saying goes “When in Rome do as the Romans.” I had to gauge the tenets of society and try to learn from all aspects of New Zealand culture and find my own path. I found very quickly that there was a definite divide between Pakeha and Māori and I was curious as to “why?” in such a small population. I realised that there was a definite socio-economic difference that was as prevalent here as it was in my own country.

 I learned to teach adults, here in New Zealand, and had my first experience of a bi-cultural perspective from the wonderfully inclusive tutors at Whitireia, and when I look back now, I had the very best place based teaching for this, and an authentic environment to witness the real divide in the Porirua area.

 

 So What?

 Fig 2.

I began teaching in my first school in 2006 and have remained there until now. I believe our school is on a journey from the brown to the red on the continuum above. As a college in a predominantly white middle socio-economic area, with some quite poor pockets, we are on a journey of bicultural enlightenment. While never totally white, the brown box and into the blue would be where I believe the school was, when I arrived to teach.

 I had my own lens to view what was happening in my school and little bias, as I had not grown up with a new Zealand context, so I could observe with a slightly detached perspective: one which, I believe, has been really helpful in my own personal journey on the continuum above.

The area I believe the school are progressing well with on their journey with the vision, mission and core values. I still think there is a way to go and they are developing the bi-cultural significance driven by a passionate Principal who saw the school as the token tick box institution it was before he arrived. He drove the need for change and has been transformational in this respect. We now have our own formulated CARE system, we have an active PB4L strategy and restorative practice. We have adopted; Kia Eke Panuku; Tuakana Teina and many Māori inspired activities which are becoming core to our learning for all students.

 In discussion with our Māori Matua, he believes the school at this point is in the purple box moving to green. What we have to accept though, is that we still have some laggards who are slow to adopt these strategies, but this is a snow ball getting bigger as we roll forward.

What is not moving forward as quickly, but I believe this will follow as momentum gathers in the vision and values area, are the learning resources for our Akonga. This is developing with our change of Year 9 programmes and bringing in the place based projects which connect students to their environment, their land and local iwi. We have our local Marae and the school has established great links with Kaumatua and iwi to come into the school and work with the students on various projects.

What Next?

The school will keep moving forward with its momentum and I am confident we have fantastic relational teachers whom ERO have recently evaluated to be making great strides in inclusive bicultural practice. 

For me, I have been a quiet learner, my passions have developed with Raranga and I have made new Kapa Haka uniforms for both local Colleges. I have been involved with a wonderful Maori student constructing a Korowai and we have connected back into the community, iwi, and weaving experts locally, as well as Te Papa, to gather the expertise for me to learn alongside my students. The Ako is happening and I have really enjoyed the experiences.

Matua has given me the status of being part of the Kapa Haka group, in that I was given a jacket…… for me a real honour of acceptance, for an outsider!... and I am very cognisant of this inclusion and what that means.

 I am moving on to a new position in a low socio-economic school, predominantly Maori and Pasifika and my new challenge is to assimilate this new environment and to have a high CQ with my new students. I have much to learn but my kete is open to be filled and I hope I am humble enough to be accepted by them, genuinely, not just tick boxed. It goes both ways I believe. I take the words of Liana Macdonald with me, “History suggests that those who are born into privilege struggle to see how society is structured to their advantage.”

Cultural intelligence Center, (2018) Retrieved from: https://culturalq.com/what-is-cq/

Earley, C. & Ang, S. (2003). Cultural Intelligence, Individual Interactions Across Cultures. Stanford university Press. California.

  Macdonald. L (2018). Retrieved from https://e-tangata.co.nz/identity/why-i-didnt-sit-with-the-other-maori-girls-at-school/

 Fig 2. Milne, A. (2017).Coloring in the white spaces: reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.