Ko te uara o tēnei pepa ko te whakawhanake i te hiranga me te hōhonutanga o ngā pūkenga whitiwhiti tuakiri i roto i ngā horopaki rerenga kē ahurea, horopaki mātauranga hoki. He mea whakaute te whakahaere ahurea tōtika; otirā, i te tuatahi me mōhio tonu te tangata ki tōna anō tūnga ahurea. Ko te pūmau ki te tikanga ruatanga ki te iwi taketake, te iwi Māori te tūāpapa o Aotearoa New Zealand. Ko te reo Māori te pūtake o te tikanga ruatanga.

This paper aims to develop awareness of the importance and complexity of effective, personal communicative competency in culturally diverse, intentionally educational contexts. Working in culturally appropriate ways requires respect; but first it calls upon the individual to recognise their own cultural positioning. Aotearoa New Zealand was founded on the basis of a bicultural commitment to partnership with the Indigenous people, Māori. Thus, this paper will begin with a discussion of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi and its implications for both sides. Students will be required to learn and understand elements of Mātauranga Māori, including te reo and tikanga Māori, recognising that some will already have relevant skills and understandings. The notions of kaupapa Māori and Indigeneity will be discussed in relation to students' own cultural identities. The aim of this paper is to prepare students to recognise local and global cultural diversity and to work in culturally appropriate ways with diverse others in contexts where educational outcomes are sought. This competency is well recognised globally as an essential attribute of a global citizen, and in educational contexts.