Unit 2 Traditional Science Source Set · 2025 Edition · Years 7–10
Analysing First-Hand Accounts of Māori Scientific Knowledge
Before written language was introduced to Aotearoa, Māori held a vast encyclopedia of scientific knowledge in their minds. This knowledge, or mātauranga, was passed down through generations in kōrero (stories), waiata (songs), and whakapapa (genealogies). When Europeans arrived, some recorded their observations of this knowledge in action. These records, while often biased, are valuable primary sources that give us a window into a sophisticated scientific tradition.
"I have before mentioned that the island had on board a man named Tupaia... He had been the first minister of Otaheite... and was also a priest; he was, besides, a man of great knowledge and experience in the geography of the islands."— Captain James Cook, Journal, 1770
"The sweet potatoes... were planted in small hills, some ranged in rows, others in quincunx, with such regularity that they would not have disgraced a European kitchen garden... each patch was inclos'd with a fence made of reeds... so close that a mouse could scarce creep through."— Joseph Banks, Journal, 1769
"For all their ailments, they drink only the juice extracted from certain herbs, which they call 'rongoā', meaning 'tonics' or 'remedies'. They are very skilled in the choice of these plants..."— René Lesson, French Naturalist, 1824
"The natives have a custom of prohibiting the catching of a certain fish and the collecting of a certain shellfish... for a certain period... This is called a 'rahui'. It is a law for the preservation of the fish and is a law of their own making."— William Colenso, Missionary and Botanist, 1842
For each primary source quote, identify the scientific principles being described. Use the table below.
| Source # | Area of Science | Scientific Principle or Practice Observed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Navigation / Astronomy | e.g., Cartography, celestial mapping, oral transmission of geographic data. |
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 |
Choose one primary source. How does the Māori approach described compare to a modern Western scientific approach to the same topic? Consider the following:
Chosen Primary Source: #____
Comparison:
The authors of these quotes were European. How might their cultural background have influenced what they chose to record and how they described it? Why is it important to consider this bias when using them as historical evidence?
Curriculum alignment for this handout has not yet been verified against the live curriculum statements. A generated placeholder that stood here was removed on 2026-08-29 because it matched no real statement.
Reflect on your learning. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?
This resource sits within a kaupapa that recognises mātauranga Māori as a living knowledge system with its own frameworks, values, and ways of understanding the world. The New Zealand Curriculum calls for learning that reflects the bicultural partnership of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which means every subject area has an obligation to engage authentically with Māori perspectives — not as cultural decoration but as substantive contributions to how we understand our topics. The concepts of manaakitanga (care for others), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whanaungatanga (relationship and belonging), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) provide a values framework applicable across all learning areas, and all are relevant to the work in this handout.
This handout is designed to be used alongside other resources in the same unit. This handout stands on its own; it is not part of a linked unit planner. All content is provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.
Students will engage with this resource to develop a decolonised understanding of Aotearoa's history — reading the past through the eyes of tangata whenua, examining primary sources critically, and understanding how colonisation continues to shape the present. This unit centres mana Māori as the starting point, not a footnote.
Scaffold support: Provide annotated source analysis frames for entry-level access — guiding students through the OPCVL or SOLO process step by step. Offer extension tasks asking students to compare a colonial-era source with a contemporary Māori account of the same event, analysing how the historical narrative has been contested and reclaimed.
ELL / ESOL: Primary source language (particularly 19th-century English) presents specific challenges — pre-read sources with students and pre-teach archaic or specialist vocabulary. Allow students to express historical analysis in their home language first before translating to English. Bilingual glossaries support engagement without reducing intellectual demand. Some ELL students may bring first-hand experience of colonisation from other contexts — honour these as valid comparative perspectives.
Inclusion: Decolonised history can surface difficult emotions for Māori students encountering colonial violence and injustice in the curriculum for the first time. Create a trauma-informed classroom. Neurodiverse learners benefit from chunked tasks and clear analytical scaffolds. Ensure all students understand that the purpose of this unit is not guilt but understanding — and that understanding is the foundation of partnership and change.
Mātauranga Māori lens: Decolonising history means more than "adding Māori perspectives" — it means recognising that the dominant historical narrative itself is a colonial artefact. Whakapapa is an alternative historical framework: tracing connections, obligations, and continuity across time. The NZ Wars were not distant events — their consequences live in land ownership patterns, economic disparities, and community structures today. Tino rangatiratanga — the right of self-determination — was not surrendered at Waitangi and has been asserted continuously through protest, legislation, and resurgence. Teaching this history is an obligation of Te Tiriti partnership.
Prior knowledge: Students benefit from foundational knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi and its context. No specialist prior knowledge required for entry-level source analysis tasks — scaffolds are provided.