Resource Kits for Schools

Over the years, the Tribunal has produced a number of resource kits for use in primary and secondary schools. Although most were first published some years ago, they have been reviewed and can still be used effectively within the social studies syllabus.

Treaty of Waitangi Past and Present

This latest resource kit is available in both English and Māori, it looks at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and places it within the context of New Zealand society at that time. It also examines what the Treaty means today. The kit was written for primary-school pupils, fitting within the social studies curriculum, but will be useful for all Māori language students. 

The Waitangi Tribunal and the Kaituna River Claim

The Kaituna River claim concerned the pollution of waterways in Rotorua. The kit takes the form of a role-playing exercise, where the students assume the role of the Waitangi Tribunal and decide how to resolve the claim. While this resource is aimed at fourth form students, it has been used successfully at all levels of secondary school.

The Waitangi Tribunal and the Motunui-Waitara Claim

The Motunui-Waitara claim concerned the pollution of coastal reefs in Taranaki. This resource kit emphasises the importance of cultural perceptions and the respecting of cultural differences. Written for the senior geography syllabus, the kit is also suitable for legal studies, history, Māori studies, science, and social studies pupils.

Te Roroa

The Te Roroa claim was very controversial because it involved private land. This resource kit provides an insight into the claim and describes the significance of wahi tapu (sacred sites), how the land changed hands, and the present-day consequences of those transactions. The kit was designed for third-, fourth-, and fifth-form social studies, geography, history, legal studies, and Māori studies pupils.

Orakei

This resource kit details the land claim of Ngati Whatua o Orakei, emphasising the steady erosion of Orakei land and economic resources by the Crown, which culminated in the Bastion Point land occupation of 1978. It helps students to understand what tribal land ownership means to the Māori people. The kit was written for the fourth form social studies syllabus, but it is also suitable for use in senior history, geography, legal studies and cultural studies courses.