Abstract:
With 231,801 people of Pacific Island ethnicity living in New Zealand in 2001 (a country of only 4 million people), one can quickly see the need for culturally appropriate educational material. After a brief overview of the current New Zealand curriculum this paper provides a justification for inclusion of Pasifika teaching resources and activities. This paper focuses on one topic, that of barkcloth (tapa) production. It provides basic information of this process for the reader who may have no knowledge of tapa making. Examples of activities relating to each learning area (subject) in the New Zealand curriculum using tapa as a context will be given, in order for educators to see the simplicity and the diversity of approaches that are possible.