Mātauranga Māori at Earth School Aotearoa
Earth School Aotearoa is a place-based learning community rooted in whenua, relationship, and seasonal rhythm. Our approach is informed by mātauranga Māori — the knowledge systems, values, and ways of being that have grown in relationship with this land over generations.
We understand mātauranga Māori not as a curriculum to be “added in”, but as a living body of knowledge that shapes how learning happens: how we relate to place, to one another, and to the more-than-human world.
What mātauranga Māori means in practice
At Earth School Aotearoa, mātauranga Māori is expressed through:
Learning in relationship with whenua
Children spend their days learning with the land — observing seasonal change, caring for gardens and animals, and understanding themselves as part of local ecosystems. This reflects a worldview in which people belong to place, rather than stand apart from it.
Whanaungatanga and belonging
Learning is relational. We prioritise strong relationships between tamariki, kaiako, whānau, and community members, and recognise learning as something that happens in connection, not isolation.
Seasonal and cyclical ways of knowing
Our learning rhythms follow the natural cycles of the year, including solstices, equinoxes, and the teachings of Matariki. This supports an understanding of time as cyclical, layered, and regenerative rather than linear and extractive.
Story, pūrākau, and sense-making
Story is a central way that knowledge is held and shared. Through pūrākau, oral storytelling, and place-based narratives, children explore ethics, history, ecology, and identity in ways that invite reflection and dialogue rather than fixed answers.
Care, responsibility, and reciprocity
Practices of kaitiakitanga are woven through daily life — tending gardens, caring for shared spaces, noticing impact, and giving back to the land and community that sustain us.
Our use of te reo Māori
Te reo Māori is used thoughtfully and respectfully across Earth School Aotearoa. We use te reo where it carries meaning — particularly for concepts that do not translate easily into English — and we support understanding with gentle explanation.
We do not present ourselves as a Māori-medium programme. Rather, we see the use of te reo as part of normalising the language of this place and supporting children to grow familiarity, respect, and confidence over time.
Relationship, respect, and responsibility
Earth School Aotearoa is not a kaupapa Māori school, nor do we claim to hold or teach mātauranga Māori in its entirety. We recognise that mātauranga Māori is held by iwi, hapū, and whānau, and that different knowledge carries different levels of permission, protection, and responsibility.
Our commitment is to:
learn with humility,
act in relationship rather than extraction,
honour cultural boundaries and intellectual property,
and remain responsive as relationships deepen over time.
Where appropriate, we work alongside Māori knowledge holders and community members, and we understand this as an ongoing, evolving process rather than a finished state.
An invitation to learn together
For many families, Earth School Aotearoa may be their first experience of learning grounded in mātauranga Māori. We see this as an opportunity to model curiosity, respect, and care — not certainty or mastery.
We invite tamariki and whānau to learn alongside us, to ask questions, to listen deeply, and to develop a relationship with this place and its stories that continues long beyond their time at Earth School.
Nau mai, haere mai.