Aotearoa New Zealand is changing. The relationship between the inequities iwi Māori face and centuries of colonisation is clear. The need to address these inequities and the embedded colonial thinking that reinforces them in our society is more widely accepted. Nowhere is this need for change more acute than in education. The challenge of embedding bicultural principles into all aspects of education is a significant step in decolonising education. The practice of learning design and the design of frameworks that guide education rarely have a clear process to support a bicultural approach.

Traditional knowledges are not homogeneous or tidy; they often contain hidden meanings and tensions. In some cases, they are contradictory and therefore understanding them requires careful analytical and critical thought. The marginalisation and exclusion of Indigenous knowledges in contemporary contexts has perhaps been (falsely) justified because they do not easily translate into non-Indigenous ways of knowing. The purpose of this article is to critically examine traditional Māori knowledge and epistemology in relation to modern challenges and meaning-making. Indigenous conceptual frameworks allow for Indigenous interpretation of our experiences on our own terms.

This article explores how Tongans honour anga faka- Tonga, balancing cultural obligations to their fāmili, kolo, siasi and fonua with their own financial well- being. Utilising the Kakala framework and drawing on narratives gathered from talanoa with 13 Aotearoa New Zealand- based Tongans between 20 and 60 years of age, three key themes were identified: (1) financial decisions were driven by Tongan values and Christian beliefs, (2) cultural and religious expectations and practices both promote and demote well- being, and (3) an overall sense of well- being can be achieved by balancing personal finances with religious and cultural obligations.

For many Māori, it is the presence of their kin that transforms a dwelling into a home. However, when that dwelling needs repairs, it can compromise health and wellbeing and be a barrier to homemaking. Two Kaupapa Māori qualitative studies in Hawke’s Bay interviewed 24 whānau members living in 18 whānau-owned houses about the impact of government-funded critical house repairs. Thematic analysis highlighted that critical repairs were primarily needed as a result of financial hardship. Most participants were positive about the repair work done by Māori tradespeople.

To better understand the low and declining trends in active transport, there is a clarion call for town planners to develop sensitivity and sensibility towards the cultural backgrounds, realities and priorities of Māori. This will be important in producing more sustainable, healthy and equitable neighbourhoods. This paper outlines the results of a narrative literature review and consultation on tamariki Māori and travelling to kura. Tamariki Māori face barriers to active transport similar to those of other children, including a lack of access to suitable urban infrastructure, but these are exacerbated for tamariki Māori by historical issues.

Full issue containing 14 great articles, written by authors and scholars in their chosen field of mahi (work)

In 2020, New Zealand Māori made up 6.8% of postgraduate students at the University of Otago (Sizemore, 2020). These students are supported by the author in her role as Māori Postgraduate Support Adviser (hereafter “the Adviser”). During the country’s first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, the Adviser used Facebook—specifically the University of Otago’s page for Māori postgraduate students—to communicate with this cohort. She adapted the kaupapa Te Whare Tapa Whā (Durie, 1985) into a communication tool, and its success is evaluated in this article by tracking engagement online and through autoethnographic analysis by the Adviser.

This article reports on the second stage of the three-year Marsden-funded research project “Languaculture within Te Ao Māori: Learning from Infants, Whānau and Communities”, undertaken with Māori hapū in Aotearoa New Zealand. It presents the voices of kaumātua and whānau from the hapū speaking on their worldviews, values, experiences and practices related to naming tamariki. Their narratives of experiences provide insights into motivations, influences and understandings concerned with naming practices from traditional pre-European to contemporary times.

Systemic inequity and homelessness among Māori in New Zealand is explored, highlighting the disproportionate impact of poverty, overcrowding and homelessness on this population. This paper examines the historical context of colonisation and societal changes contributing to the housing strain and homelessness faced by Māori. The research study conducted by an Indigenous navigation service using secondary analysis and the Te Whare Tapa Whā framework revealed insights from 60 Māori participants. Emphasising the Indigenous context, including the Treaty of Waitangi, the paper explores Māori well-being, cultural values and the importance of marae.

Situated within a mainstream primary school in inner-city Auckland, Te Akā Pūkaea accommodates two Māori-medium education pathways: Te Awahou (bilingual) and Te Uru Karaka (total immersion). Te Akā Pūkaea is now in its fifth year of working as a flexible learning space (FLS). With the increasing presence of FLSs in the school landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand, researchers have begun to explore the significance of spatial design on classroom teaching and learning. The vast majority of this research has been undertaken in English-medium schools, and the participation of Māori voices in the discussion of FLSs over the last 20 years has been minimal at best.