Early Childhood Education as a Site of Ecocentric Counter-Colonial Endeavour in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

This article draws upon a range of theoretical domains, first to outline the historical rationale for the urgent changes needed to challenge and transform the dominator culture which has justified exploitation of Indigenous peoples and the resources of the earth. It invites educators to reconsider the narratives that are either consciously or inadvertently promoted in our work, suggesting that we can learn from Indigenous epistemologies in which humans are situated alongside earth others, as respectful, related guardians and caretakers. It finally draws on some examples from a recent qualitative study conducted with ten early childhood centres from across Aotearoa, to illuminate possibilities for enactment of counter-colonial renarrativisation within early childhood settings in service of an ethical project of enhancing relationalities, reconnecting children and their families with the more-than-human world.

Sustainability education in early childhood: An updated review of research in the field

“…Those articles that are included are indicative of the potential of this new methodological trend in the field. The most notable of these report on the large multi-site study shaped by the Te Whāriki, the New Zealand treaty-based early childhood curriculum (Duhn, 2012a(Duhn, , 2012bNew Zealand Ministry of Education, 1996;Ritchie, 2012aRitchie, , 2012bRitchie, , 2013. This study is necessarily informed by the indigenous methodologies embedded in the curriculum framework but they also bring these Maori indigenous epistemologies into dialogue with new post-human theories.…”

“…Ritchie, 2012aRitchie, , 2012bRitchie, , 2013 those that draw on contemporary western philosophies to move beyond nature/culture binaries (e.g Duhn, 2012aDuhn, , 2012b; and research within the tradition of critical animal studies (Bone, 2013;Timmerman and Ostertag, 2011). The majority of articles drawing on post-human frameworks derive from one large multi-site study of early childhood education practice (Duhn, 2012a(Duhn, , 2012bRitchie, 2012aRitchie, , 2012bRitchie, , 2013. This study was informed by the bi-cultural treaty based New Zealand national curriculum Te Whāriki (New Zealand Ministry of Education, 1996), revealing the continuing force of national curriculum frameworks in shaping the directions of early childhood education research and practice.…”

“…These articles include those that draw on indigenous understandings that view human sociality and the natural world as interdependent systems (e.g. Ritchie, 2012a, 2012b, 2013) those that draw on contemporary western philosophies to move beyond nature/culture binaries (e.g Duhn, 2012a, 2012b); and research within the tradition of critical animal studies (Bone, 2013; Timmerman and Ostertag, 2011). The majority of articles drawing on post-human frameworks derive from one large multi-site study of early childhood education practice (Duhn, 2012a, 2012b; Ritchie, 2012a, 2012b, 2013).…”

Tiritiria: Understanding Māori children as inherently and inherited-ly literate—Towards a conceptual position

“…It allows knowledge to be “imparted in authentic and meaningful ways” (Glasgow & Rameka, 2017 , p. 87). In traditional Māori society, knowledge was shared through playing a role, or role-playing daily chores (Glasgow & Rameka, 2017 ; Ritchie, 2012 ). It included children learning by doing and learning through experiences, often from everyday life.…”

Countering Deficit Thinking: Agency, Capabilities and the Early Learning Experiences of Children of Latina/o Immigrants

“…Early childhood scholars have focused on elements of agency, including children's citizenship, that position children as participating members in the communities and countries where they live with an ability to influence the world around them (Arzubiaga et al, 2009;Mitchell, 2010;Phillips, 2010) and children's rights that argues children have a right to address their own and their community's needs (Lansdown, 2005;Alderson, 2008;MacNaughton et al, 2008). Some of these studies have focused on how early schooling can help prepare young children to use their voice to participate and influence their communities (Phillips, 2011;Ritchie, 2012), and how to better prepare to teach young children with varied experiences (see Ryan & Grieshaber, 2005). Critical early childhood scholars have also looked at children's ability to act or resist adult control as evidence that children are sophisticated and intelligent players even in adult controlled worlds (Markström & Hallden, 2008;Madrid & Dunn-Kenney, 2010).…”