Te Rito
Our Te Rito Bicultural Competency E-Learning Modules provide a guided learning pathway that engages the user by using best practice e-learning techniques and a variety of multimedia.
The modules are designed to run through a Learning Management System (LMS) to allow Learning and Development Administrators to review learner progress. The modules can also be accessed via our own LMS, which gives organisations the ability to invite learners and track progress.
Te Pakiaka
Foundational Courses 1-4
Pakiaka are the roots of the harakeke (flax bush), which is the metaphor we use for Te Rito. This refers to the foundational nature of these courses.
Overview
Courses 1-4 of Te Rito, which we call Te Pakiaka, focus on foundational bicultural competency. They are designed to be completed fully online.
These 14 modules, updated in 2024, all follow the same structure:
- Introduction of key concepts
- Examples of these concepts in New Zealand life, particularly in the workplace
- An interactive tool to provide the opportunity to master new concepts and skills
- A brief learning assessment required to complete the module.
“Ngā mihi. I feel more grounded and at peace with my own ethnicity and culture after completing this course. I am also more confident about communicating with Māori and looking to ask and learn from and with them.”
Course 1 : Introduction / He Whakatakinga
In Course 1, we get to know Te Rito and how it works. We also become familiar with terminology relating to culture and assimilation and its effects. We explore the idea that we are ‘one people’ in Aotearoa, and listen to viewpoints on this issue.
Course 2 : Te Ao Māori / The Māori World
Course 2 introduces four building blocks of Māori worldviews: whakapapa, wairuatanga, mana, and kaitiakitanga.
The core values and ways of living that derive from these ancestral concepts are explained, and examples are given of how tikanga manifests in the workplace and in daily life.
Course 3 : Back to the Future / Titiro Whakamuri
In Course 3, we turn to te Tiriti o Waitangi, paying close attention to the context in which it emerged and the many factors impacting on iwi Māori at that time.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is explored over time, including focus on the Crown’s continuous breaches, and its purposeful disregard of its promise to respect tino rangatiratanga.
Many perspectives are highlighted. Learners are guided in how to connect their own work with te Tiriti o Waitangi, showing it is a living and breathing taonga that can serve as a practical template for equity and harmony.
“I really liked that the history and experiences of Māori pre, during and post- dealing with the Crown and missionaries was covered in that amount of depth. While I have had lots of teaching at school and some at work about te Tiriti o Waitangi and its implications, this is the first time I really got to understand more of the background to it, and what happened in the process of signing. Ka pai and ngā mihi.”
Course 4 : Walking in Two Worlds / Kia Hīkoi i Ngā Ao e Rua
In the final course of these foundational modules, learners become aware of the meaning behind the rituals of encounter and transition treasured by iwi Māori, increasing their confidence to participate in them with true understanding.
Along the way, learners build new skills by learning how to introduce themselves, contribute to ceremonial occasions with waiata tautoko, and understand the role of karakia in bringing people together. There are also opportunities to learn basic te reo Māori and pronunciation.
Our learners report greater confidence in applying their new bicultural fundamentals.
“What I found best was being able to listen to words and practicing them. The more you listen to the way words are said and the flow of the language the less scared I am of mucking something up. I am now introducing myself and saying goodbye after treatment to my Māori patients with confidence (and sometimes a smile from my patients).
What has happened is that because I am trying, we are talking more during treatments … I am learning more about the culture but also I have found that the patients are more willing to do the home programmes and treatment plans … I guess it is all about trust, and building relationships … thank you.”
Te Kōrari
Extension Courses 5-7
Kōrari is the flower stem of the harakeke. Again, this is a metaphor for the work that is to be done in these extension courses, resulting in a ‘flowering’ or transformational change within your organisation.
Overview
Courses 5-7, Te Kōrari, explore issues of identity, decolonisation, equity, anti-racism, and focus on our future. Like Courses 1-4, they are fully online, but also include the provision of supporting materials for wānanga to help embed the learning into practice.
Each module contains key writings and ideas from experts in these topics, voiced by them especially for this kaupapa. These modules encourage learners to continue their education through a series of wānanga (materials provided), where new knowledge is transformed into positive action through deep discussion, debate and reflection.
“I thoroughly enjoyed these modules! I learnt so much, cried so much, and connected so well. Coming from South Africa this content sits heavy on my heart. But together, we are stronger.”
Course 5 : Identity / Tuakiritanga
Course 5 of Te Rito centres on identity and how we relate to each other, the whenua (land) and Te Tiriti.
The topic of the colonisation of Aotearoa is introduced, with clear explanations of the terminology used when discussing this topic.
Learners explore how cultural supremacy fuelled colonisation and skewed our historical narrative.
“I have now completed Course 5…I personally found several of the stories resonated with me from my own experiences, and made me look at these from a different point of view. Including from when I was a previously sworn member of the Police, which I think unintentionally shaped some negative ideas/thoughts and feelings. I found I needed to stop halfway through the Course to process and reflect the information contained within it.”
Course 6 : Decolonisation / Purenga Ihomatua
Course 6 covers race, ethnicity, culture and nationality, ‘white supremacy’ and the language of colonial propaganda, and how this was used to bolster racist and segregationist policies and practices here in Aotearoa in ways that still resonate.
We investigate bias, prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination, and racism in all its kinds: societal, institutional, interpersonal and internalised. Learners are given tools to use in responding to and combatting racism.
“Super impressed with the modules, thought they were well laid out, followed a logical progression with fantastic content. Although I was slightly sceptical on the value of these modules, I can honestly say I personally learnt a lot from them, and found out I did not know as much as I thought I did. The knowledge I obtained throughout these modules will be something I plan to bring into both my work and personal life.”
Course 7 : Our Future / Ā Kō Ake Nei
Course 7 of Te Rito explores defensive reactions New Zealanders have to the topic of colonisation, and suggests ways to counter them. Contemporary terms such as ‘whiteness’, ‘white privilege’ and ‘white fragility’ are discussed, and we look at equality, equity and sharing, and the implications of true equity in Aotearoa.
Course Seven also contains modules explaining the topics of cultural appropriation and tokenism, and shines a spotlight on tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti roles in the work needed to create a fairer future. Learners are guided in developing a personal action plan with goals to help transform Aotearoa New Zealand into a more equitable place for its tangata whenua.
If you are ready to improve your organisation’s bicultural competency, and enhance the ability of your kaimahi to participate positively in the future of Aotearoa, contact us now.
Nau mai, haere mai, kuhu mai!