Māori educator, leader delivers message of resilience, pride at HSTA Convention

In a spirited keynote address at the Hawai’i State Teachers Association’s 52nd Annual Convention, Ripeka Lessels, a prominent Māori educator and leader, delivered a message of resilience, cultural pride, and collective action that resonated far beyond the borders of Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Lessels serves as the president of NZEI Te Riu Roa, the largest education trade union in New Zealand, with a membership of over 50,000. She spoke to nearly 200 Hawaiʻi delegates about her role as a union leader, principal, and proud descendant of Māori (indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand) warriors.

Her personal journey included an ode to her heritage, dating back to her great, great grandfather.

“In front of you are my kupuna, my tupuna, my great great grandfather, my great grandfather, my grandfather and my father […] I am the entire aspiration of all their dreams. Me and my descendants are their aspirations,” she said.

As the principal of a small K-12 Māori medium school with just 100 students, she rejected the notion that success is measured by numbers.

“Numbers has never been my game, ever, as a classroom teacher, as a principal. It’s not been about numbers. For me, it’s been about depth. It’s been about ensuring that every family that comes to our school is absolutely committed, committed to the school, committed to the philosophy, committed to the trajectory of the school.”

Upholding the Treaty of Waitangi for New Zealand educators

Lessels recounted her 10 years spent as the deputy chair of the Teaching Council of Aotearoa, the regulatory body for every teacher in New Zealand. In her role, she assisted with creating guidelines for teachers.

“I’m a proud counselor that said that the Treaty of Waitangi was right at the top. Every teacher needed to adhere to the Treaty of Waitangi,” she said.

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 and was an agreement between the British Crown and a large number of Māori chiefs. It was intended to create a peaceful relationship and ensure the Crown’s governance while acknowledging Māori ownership of the land and resources.

Lessels shared that this year, in a change, the minister of education decided that “she wanted to tell us how to rewrite the criteria for teachers. She wanted the Treaty of Waitangi moved, and she wanted the criteria to reflect her passion, which was structured literacy and structured maths.”

Lessels explained that the minister of education’s government introduced The Treaty Principles Bill, a piece of legislation that essentially sought to legally define the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. Lessels called it “a racist piece of legislation.”

In the end, over 300,000 submissions were made against the bill, the largest ever in the history of New Zealand. The bill was defeated at its second reading.

Lessels’ lesson was simple: “The fight and struggle that you have is across the world.”

“I want to tell you if there’s anything that you have and that we have in common, apart from the challenges that we face, we have the ability to organize, we have ability to mobilize, and we have ability to shift that organization and that mobilization to the people that we believe are going to be greatly affected by whatever it is, whatever piece of legislation that’s happening.”

Transforming and re-indigenizing the education union

During her tenure at the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), Lessels has worked tirelessly to transform the union’s governance.

Historically dominated by colonial structures, the union, which just celebrated its 142nd birthday, didn’t get its first Māori president until 1995. She shared that there have been three others after that, and then her.

Now, “my immediate executives that sit at my table are all Māori,” she said proudly. Of six executives, five are fluent in Māori.

Over the last few years, change has been happening within the union including constitutional changes to the membership.

“It’s been a long journey,” she shared. “It’s been a lot of talking to ourselves. Our own people had to re-indigenize themselves.”

“They’re starting to realize that you’re worth speaking, you’re worth talking, you’re valued not just as a teacher, but you’re valued because of who your tupuna, kupuna were.”

Stronger together: ‘Don’t be afraid to speak out’

While many of Lessels’ stories were specific to New Zealand, her message is universal to educators everywhere.

“Unions are really good at organizing […] Be proud of being able to come together with like minds, with a focus, speak up and speak out about everything that will impact you as a teacher. Don’t be afraid to speak out,” she said.

In the end, Lessels reminded teachers that there is power in culture and strength in unity.

“You are much stronger together than you are apart,” she said.