Kaitiakitanga – School Journal Level 4 November 2022

Most people think of a kaitiaki as someone who guards or protects the natural world. Maybe they look after a stream or beach, a native species under threat, or a local reserve. The term kaitiakitanga (the act of being a kaitiaki) comes from te ao Māori. It can mean each generation teaches the next about protecting taonga tuku iho – precious resources passed on by the ancestors. This article aligns with the science and social sciences learning areas and is a year 6 reading level.

Keywords: activists, ancestors, artist, biodiversity, climate change, environment, farming, Greta Thunberg, Hāwera, history, identity, jeweller, kaitiaki, kaitiakitanga, Māori knowledge, Mātauranga Māori, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, museums, Papatūānuku, pounamu, Ranginui, regenerating bush, taonga, Taranaki, tikanga, tīpuna, tradition, tūpuna, Wairoa, wetland, whānau