Through the eyes of whānau: Destruction of cultural identity through education

Abstract

This thesis examines how the schooling experiences of a dual cultural heritage whānau influenced the development of their identity, their language and culture across three generations. Koro, Tuakana, Teina and Moko share their experiences with us and through these stories reveal how they were forced through the colonising beliefs and practices of schooling to reshape themselves in a bid to belong. The compromise and abuse of cultural identity in wider society, replicated and validated in schooling, created a vicious and dehumanising experience for each of them. School was a major site of assimilation for this whānau. They experienced racism, rejection, low expectations and cultural disconnection across the three generations. They suffered particularly as dual heritage children who experienced rejection and racial micro aggressions from both Pākehā and Māori alike. Instead of education being a means to realise their potential and to achieve success it was actually the vehicle for the destruction of their cultural identity.