🪶 Section 8 | Kaupapa Māori Deep Dive — Comprehensive Resource

For educators wanting to ground their AI practice in te ao Māori

This section is designed for those who want to explore AI through kaupapa Māori principles in depth.

You don’t need to be Māori or fluent in te reo to engage with these ideas — they are offered as an invitation to deepen culturally responsive practice in Aotearoa.

🤍 Manaakitanga and AI — Care in Digital Spaces

Manaakitanga involves caring, respect, and the wellbeing of others. It upholds the mana of everyone in the learning space and creates belonging.

In AI education, this means attending to dignity, safety, and empowerment.

Ngā Mahi | In Practice

• Creating safe spaces for experimentation

  Learners need to try AI without fear of judgement or punishment.

  Frame “mistakes” as learning opportunities.

  Be transparent about what’s experimental vs established practice.

• Being honest about limitations

  Don’t oversell AI capabilities.

  Acknowledge what AI can’t do (especially with cultural content).

  Model critical scepticism alongside openness.

• Considering equity and access

  Ensure all learners can participate regardless of device or internet access.

  Provide offline alternatives where possible.

  Never assume everyone has equal digital resources.

• Protecting learner wellbeing

  Consider mental-health impacts (comparison, AI-generated stress).

  Be aware of how AI might affect learner confidence.

  Create space to discuss anxieties about AI and employment.

💭 Reflection

Before introducing any AI tool, ask:

“Will this enhance or diminish my learners’ sense of belonging?”

📘 Practical Example

A foundation literacy tutor introduces ChatGPT but first acknowledges:

“I’m still learning this too. Some of you might pick it up faster than me — that’s brilliant. Let’s learn together and share what we discover.”

🔄 Ako — Reciprocal Learning with AI

Ako reminds us that teaching and learning are reciprocal — the teacher learns from the student, and vice versa. This principle is especially important with rapidly evolving technology.

In AI Practice, This Means

• Learning alongside your students

  You don’t need to be the AI expert.

  Share your learning process, including confusion and mistakes.

  Position yourself as a co-learner, not just an authority.

• Inviting learner perspectives

  Ask students how they’re already using AI.

  Learn from their creative applications.

  Value their experiences and insights.

• Staying humble and adaptive

  Acknowledge when AI produces unexpected results.

  Be willing to change your approach based on what you learn.

  Treat feedback as a gift (he koha).

• Creating reciprocal learning opportunities

  Pair students to teach each other AI techniques.

  Invite students to demonstrate tools to the class.

  Establish tuakana-teina relationships around AI literacy.

📘 Practical Activity

1. Introduce an AI tool to your class.

2. Give learners 20 minutes to experiment.

3. Hold a hui where everyone shares discoveries.

4. Document what you learned from them.

5. Integrate their insights into your next session.

💭 Reflection

“What have my learners taught me about AI that I didn’t know before?”

🌱 Pūtake — Understanding AI Origins and Biases

Pūtake teaches us that everything has origins, context, and connections. Tracing these origins helps us see what is visible and invisible in any system.

Tracing AI Origins

• Training data sources

  What knowledge was used to create this AI?

  Whose voices and perspectives are included — and whose are excluded?

• Cultural bias and representation

  Most AI is built on English-language, Western knowledge systems.

  Mātauranga and te reo Māori are under-represented or tokenised.

  This can create inaccuracies, reinforce bias, and cause cultural harm.

• Power dynamics and ownership

  Who profits from this technology?

  Who controls how it develops and who benefits?

  What are the labour conditions behind AI development?

Critical Questions to Teach Learners

• Where does this AI’s knowledge come from?

• Who created it, and for what purpose?

• What perspectives might be missing or misrepresented?

• If you ask AI about a Māori concept, how might it get it wrong?

• Who benefits when we use this tool?

📘 Practical Example

Ask ChatGPT to explain a tikanga concept like tapu or noa.

Then compare its answer with authoritative Māori sources.

Discuss with learners: What’s missing? What’s simplified or incorrect? Why might this happen?

📘 Teaching Moment

This isn’t about rejecting AI — it’s about being informed users who understand limitations and actively protect what’s important.

🛡️ Kaitiakitanga — Guardianship Over Knowledge and Practice

As kaitiaki in our learning spaces, we have responsibilities to protect, guide, and advocate — especially as new technologies emerge.

Our Kaitiakitanga Responsibilities

Protect

• Learner privacy when using AI tools (what data is collected?).

• Culturally significant knowledge from misuse or misrepresentation.

• Te reo Māori from errors, appropriation, or decontextualisation.

• Learner confidence from being undermined by AI comparison.

Guide

• Critical thinking about AI outputs (don’t accept at face value).

• Ethical use of AI in assessment and academic work.

• Awareness of AI’s environmental and social costs.

• Balanced perspective — AI as tool, not replacement for human thinking.

Advocate

• For policies that centre Māori learners’ needs and Te Tiriti.

• For investment in culturally responsive AI education and training.

• For representation of Māori voices in AI development and governance.

• For equity in access to AI tools and digital infrastructure.

Practical Kaitiakitanga Actions

In your classroom

• Set clear expectations about AI use that protect academic integrity.

• Teach learners to cite and acknowledge AI assistance.

• Co-construct guidelines with learners.

In your institution

• Advocate for AI policies that consider cultural safety.

• Push for professional development that includes kaupapa Māori perspectives.

• Ensure Māori staff and communities are included in AI decisions.

In your practice

• Regularly audit your AI use: is it helping or harming?

• Stay informed about AI developments affecting education.

• Connect with other educators navigating these same questions.

🤝 Whanaungatanga — Relationships in the Age of AI

Whanaungatanga is about building and maintaining relationships — the connections that make learning meaningful and communities strong.

The Critical Question:

Will AI enhance or erode the relationships at the heart of education?

Using AI to Strengthen Whanaungatanga

• Free up time for face-to-face connection.

• Use AI to handle routine admin tasks.

• Automate grading of simple quizzes.

• Generate first drafts of feedback (then personalise).

  Result: More time for meaningful kōrero with learners.

• Support relationship-building activities

  Use AI to help plan engaging group activities.

  Generate discussion prompts that spark genuine conversation.

  Create scaffolds that let learners collaborate more effectively.

• Model authentic human learning

  Show learners your process, including how you use AI.

  Demonstrate critical evaluation, not passive acceptance.

  Share your mistakes and learning journey.

Protecting Against AI-Driven Isolation

Warning signs to watch for:

• Students spending more time with AI than with peers or tutors.

• Decreasing participation in discussions or group work.

• Over-reliance on AI for decisions needing human judgment.

• Loss of confidence in their own thinking.

Protective actions:

• Design activities that require human collaboration.

• Create AI-free zones in your teaching.

• Regularly check how AI use is affecting wellbeing.

• Celebrate human creativity and connection explicitly.

📘 Practical Example

“For this project, you can use AI to help brainstorm ideas and edit drafts.

But the peer-review sessions are AI-free — those conversations are where the real learning happens.”

🗝️ Tino Rangatiratanga — Self-Determination in AI Adoption

Tino rangatiratanga is about self-determination and the authority to make decisions about one’s own path.

For Educators

You have the right and responsibility to make informed choices about AI in your practice — not to blindly follow institutional mandates or technology hype.

For Learners

They have the right to understand AI, question it, and make informed choices about how and when they use it.

Exercising Tino Rangatiratanga

• Make informed, not pressured, decisions

  Don’t adopt AI just because “everyone else is.”

  Evaluate each tool based on your values and learners’ needs.

  It’s okay to say “not yet” or “not this tool.”

• Maintain your pedagogical authority

  You know your learners and context best.

  Trust your professional judgment.

  Adapt AI to your practice — don’t adapt your practice to AI.

• Empower learner agency

  Teach learners how to evaluate AI critically.

  Give them choices about when and how they use AI.

  Respect when learners choose not to use certain tools.

Practical Boundary-Setting

• “We’ll use AI for X, but not for Y — here’s why.”

• “This activity is AI-assisted; this one is AI-free.”

• “If a tool doesn’t work for you, here are alternatives.”

💭 Reflection

“Am I leading my AI practice from my values, or following trends that don’t serve my learners?”

📋 Practical Integration — A Tikanga-Based Checklist

Before using any AI tool in your teaching, reflect on these questions:

Case Studies — Kaupapa Māori in Action

📖 Case Study 1 | The Foundation Literacy Tutor

Context: Adult learners with varied digital confidence, some with trauma related to past education experiences.

Challenge: How to introduce AI without overwhelming or disempowering learners?

Kaupapa Māori Approach

• Manaakitanga: Started with whanaungatanga — building trust before introducing any technology.

• Ako: Positioned herself as a fellow learner — “I’m figuring this out too.”

• Tino rangatiratanga: Made AI use optional — “Try it if you’re curious; traditional methods work too.”

• Kaitiakitanga: Carefully vetted AI outputs before sharing, protecting learners from confusion or inappropriate content.

Outcome: Learners felt safe to experiment. Some embraced AI; others preferred traditional methods. Both choices were respected and supported.

📖 Case Study 2 | The Institutional Leader

Context: Manager developing institution-wide AI policy.

Challenge: Balancing innovation with cultural safety and Te Tiriti obligations.

Kaupapa Māori Approach

• Whanaungatanga: Partnered widely with Māori staff, students, and community.

• Tino rangatiratanga: Ensured Māori voices had genuine authority in decision-making, not token consultation.

• Kaitiakitanga: Built protections for culturally significant content and te reo Māori.

• Manaakitanga: Provided professional development and support, not just policy mandates.

Outcome: Policy that was both innovative and culturally grounded, with broad staff support.

📘 Resources for Continued Learning

Aotearoa-Specific Resources

• Te Kāhui Raraunga — Māori AI Governance Framework
  Framework outlining Māori-led governance principles for AI and data use in Aotearoa.
  💬 Tip: A foundational guide for understanding how Māori data sovereignty and tikanga can shape responsible AI practice.

• Royal Society Te Apārangi — Guidelines for the Best Practice Use of Generative AI in Research (June 2025)
  National guidance for researchers on ethical, transparent, and responsible use of generative AI in Aotearoa’s research sector.
  💬 Tip: Useful for tertiary educators modelling academic integrity and research ethics when introducing AI tools in learning contexts.

• Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga — Research on Māori Knowledge Systems and Digital Futures

  Aotearoa’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence, advancing Indigenous knowledge, digital innovation, and equitable futures through kaupapa Māori research.

  💬 Tip: Explore current research themes on data sovereignty and digital transformation to inform culturally grounded AI practice.

• Data Iwi — Māori Data Sovereignty Collective

  A national initiative led by Te Kāhui Raraunga to advance Māori governance, rights, and self-determination over data and AI development.

  💬 Tip: Use this site to explore how Māori collectives are shaping ethical AI and data infrastructure grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

• Te Mana Raraunga — Māori Data Sovereignty Network

  A kaupapa Māori network promoting Indigenous control over data and digital resources across Aotearoa.

  💬 Tip: Ideal for understanding key principles and position statements guiding Māori data sovereignty policy.

• Network Waitangi Ōtautahi — Digital Inclusion and Equity in Aotearoa
  Features the Māori Data Governance Report (Taiuru & Associates, 2025) outlining challenges and solutions for equitable access and representation in digital spaces.
  💬 Tip: A useful complement to institutional policy work — connect this with discussions on AI ethics, bias, and access.

Key Readings

• Tikanga Māori in the Digital Age (various authors)

• Te Tiriti and Emerging Technologies — Human Rights Commission Reports

• AI and Indigenous Peoples — UNESCO Reports

Community Groups

• Join local Digital Māori hui and workshops.

• Connect with your institution’s Māori staff network.

• Participate in AIHOA (AI for Educators in Aotearoa) discussions.

🌸 Closing Whakataukī

“Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.”

My strength is not that of an individual, but that of the collective.

Your AI journey is strengthened when rooted in community, culture, and shared values.

You do not walk this path alone.

💭 Final Reflection Questions

• How has exploring AI through kaupapa Māori changed my thinking?

• What will I do differently in my practice?

• Who can I connect with to continue this learning?

• What would I like to learn more about?

🌸 He Kupu Whakakapi | Closing Reflection

“Ko te kai a te rangatira, he kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero.”

The food of chiefs is dialogue. What is the food of the leader? It is knowledge. It is communication that feeds a Rangatira to lead well.

As you complete Module 1 — Getting Started with AI in Tertiary Teaching, take a moment to pause and reflect.

Your curiosity, questions, and courage to experiment are all signs of leadership.

The wisdom of te ao Māori reminds us that learning is never finished — it is woven, shared, and renewed in relationship.

You are invited to return to these ideas often, discuss them with colleagues, and adapt them to your unique learners and context.

Carry forward the values and principles of manaakitanga, ako, kaitiakitanga, whanaungatanga, and tino rangatiratanga as companions on your AI journey.

🌱 This completes Module 1.

When you’re ready, continue to Module 2 — Getting Creative with AI in the Classroom, where we explore practical, imaginative ways to co-create learning experiences with your students.