The Impact of a Settler Society on Traditional Maori Theories and Concepts of Learning

Abstract

The establishment of a settler society in Aotearoa marked the beginning of the end of an era of long established and functional maori epistemology. The last one hundred and fifty years since has seen the gradual but inexorable undermining of the basic philosophical principles that gave maori their unique world view. That maori people as a race were victims of a worldwide process of expansionism and exploitation is well documented in the annals of history, but the accounts were recorded by pakeha observers who had limited understanding of the culture they were analysing. The 'silent' majority, that is the indigenous people were not consulted regarding their perceptions of events that were to have a catastrophic effect on their lives. To continue to ignore this maori voice, is unacceptable in that it represents a dangerous manipulation and control of historical fact and data. Furthermore to continue to disregard the maori view is to participate in the racist oppression of the indigenous people of Aotearoa, and to contribute to what may be described as their cultural genocide. However the last twenty years has seen a quantitative expansion of maori language and culture related issues occurring within maoridom, as maori themselves grapple with the effects of colonisation and seek to wrest their identity from a morass of pakeha historical definitions. The inability of the dominant social structures to rescue maori from their debilitating position in society, has led maori themselves to attempt the task. This study is just such an attempt. It is an attempt to retell our history from the view of the colonised. The main thrust will be to explore the causal factors of maori economic dependency, and this will be achieved in three sections. In the first section I will establish the fact that maori existed quite successfully within a very complex but functional epistemological framework. To do this I will begin by defining the traditional maori theories and concepts of learning. Following this will be a description of the actual contexts within which these concepts were practiced and given effect. The impact of pakeha education will then be considered and a comparison drawn between maori and conventional concepts of learning. In the final part of this section I will background maori education in the light of key policies which have underpinned maori economic development since pakeha settlement in this country and the resultant economic disparity that presently exists.