Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T13:02:27.212Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Campfire sessions as pedagogy: a new twist on the Indigenous art of story-telling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2019

Helene Connor Open the ORCID record for Helene Connor [Opens in a new window]  and
Ksenija Napan Open the ORCID record for Ksenija Napan [Opens in a new window]
Helene Connor*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education and Social Work, Te Puna Wānanga School of Māori and Indigenous Education University of Auckland, Private Bag 92601, Symonds St Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
Ksenija Napan
Affiliation:
College of Health, Massey University, Albany, Auckland 0632, New Zealand
*
Author for correspondence: Helene Connor, E-mail: h.connor@auckland.ac.nz
Get access

Abstract

Campfire sessions are springing up at conferences and educational institutes as an alternative to PowerPoint presentation workshops. As an educational tool, the campfire session is presented as innovative pedagogy, yet sitting around an open fire, telling stories, talking and ‘yarning’ has long been practised in Indigenous societies. This paper reflects on story-telling as an Indigenous educational method with a focus on traditional Māori society in Aotearoa/New Zealand. More specifically, the authors reflect on a campfire session facilitated at the Ako (reciprocal teaching and learning) Aotearoa (Māori name for New Zealand) Conference in Christchurch in November 2018. The campfire session was designed to draw on participants' experiences and stories of biculturalism and their own bicultural journeys. Its intention was to enable participants to explore what it means to be bicultural in Aotearoa/New Zealand and how being bicultural manifests in practices of ako across a range of disciplines and fields of practice. The paper endeavours to be an instructional article for educators interested in experimenting with the Indigenous teaching method of campfire sessions. Detailed explanations and descriptions of the campfire method are provided to assist teachers to design their own campfire sessions. The campfire method was well received by the initial audience, as evidenced by their full engagement and participation. All participants fed back that they felt enabled to design their own campfire sessions. The main benefit of this method is its engagement and appreciation of Indigenous wisdom. The main challenge is its unpredictability as just like fire, it can produce a wonderful warmth and transformation, but also engender inflamed discussions. It requires skilful facilitation and appreciation of potentially diverse views and opinions.

Keywords

Aotearoa/New Zealandbiculturalcampfire session instructionscampfire sessionsIndigenous teaching methods
Type
Research Article
Information
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , Volume 50 , Issue 1 , August 2021 , pp. 80 - 87
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Archibald, J (2008) Indigenous Storywork. Educating the Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit. Vancouver, BC: UBC Press, The University of British Columbia.Google Scholar
Chiriac, EH (2014) Group work as an incentive for learning—students’ experiences of group work. Frontiers in Psychology, 1–10. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00558Google Scholar
Davis, J (2017) Demystifying Creative Pedagogy in Early Learning and Play: The Professional Context. The People's Republic Of Escotia, A place for sensible ideas about change and fairness. Retrieved from https://peoplesrepublicofescotia.com/2017/09/27/1-demystifying-creative-pedagogy-in-early-learning-and-play-the-professional-context-2/.Google Scholar
Gersick, CJG, Bartunek, JM and Dutton, JE (2000) Learning from academia: the importance of relationships in professional life. Academy of Management Journal 43, 1026–1044.Google Scholar
Hokowhitu, B, Oetzel, J, Reddy, R, Smith, L, Simpson, M, Nock, S and Johnston, K (2017) Kaumatua mana motuhake: Kaumatua managing life-transitions through tuakana-teina/peer education. The New Zealand Medical Journal: Proceedings of the Waikato Clinical Campus Biannual Research Seminar. Vol. 130, pp. 108.Google Scholar
Keegan, P (2017) On changes in New Zealand Māori narrative: how an Indigenous culture enables the modern world. In Dattaray, D, Halder, E and Bhattacharya, S (eds), Following Forkhead Paths: Discussions on the Narrative. Kolkata, Indian: Archana Das & Subrata Das, pp. 27–41.Google Scholar
King, M (2003) The Penguin History of New Zealand. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books.Google Scholar
Lee, J (2009) Decolonising Māori narratives: Pūrākau as a method. MAI Review. Retrieved from http://www.review.mai.ac.nz/mrindex/MR/article/view/242/268.html.Google Scholar
Macfarlane, AH (2015) Restlessness, resoluteness and reason: looking back at 50 years of Māori education. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies 50, 177–193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mumford, L (2018) How to host successful campfire sessions. August 14. Retrieved from https://www.aventri.com/blog/how-to-host-a-successful-campfire-session.Google Scholar
Mutu, M (2001) Ko Piiwheke Te Maunga- Piiwheke is the mountain. Māori language and Māori ethnic identity: reaffirming identity through language revitalisation. He Pukenga Korero Ngahuru, A Journal of Māori Studies 6, 1–8. Retrieved from http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE22164306.Google Scholar
Napan, K and Connor, H (2014) Difference and diversity as a resource for learning: teaching transcultural social practice. The International Journal of Diversity in Education 13, 79–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Napan, K and Connor, H (2018) Walking the bi-cultural talk in Aotearoa. Campfire session. Abstract of the Talking Teaching—Engaging Teaching Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand: University of Canterbury. Retrieved from https://akoacademy.ac.nz/images/Talking_Teaching_2018_Book_of_Abstracts_FINAL_2.pdf.Google Scholar
Oliver, W, Dalziel, R, Sinclair, K, Moran, W, Vowles, J and Blyth, C (2019) New Zealand. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Zealand.Google Scholar
Origins of the Māori King Movement (2008) Retrieved from https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/the-Māori-king-movement.Google Scholar
Pere, RR (1982) Ako: Concepts and Learning in the Māori Tradition. Wellington: Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board.Google Scholar
Pere, R (1990) Aio ki te Aorangi. Retrieved from http://folksong.org.nz/aio_ki_te_aorangi/index.html.Google Scholar
Rosenwald, M, Smith, M, Bagnoli, M, Riccelli, D, Ryan, S, Salcedo, L and Seeland, D (2013) Relighting the campfire: rediscovering activity-based group work. Social Work With Groups 36, 321–331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shay, M (2019) Extending the yarning yarn: collaborative yarning methodology for ethical Indigenist education research. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 1–9. doi: 10.1017/jie.2018.25CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference (n.d.) Alternative presentation styles. Retrieved from https://smartandsustainable.umd.edu/alternative-presentation-proposals.Google Scholar
Sorrenson, MPK (1975) How to Civilize Savages. Some ‘answers’ from nineteenth-century New Zealand. Retrieved from http://www.nzjh.auckland.ac.nz/docs/1975/NZJH_09_2_01.pdf.Google Scholar
Stasiuk, G and Kinnane, S (2010) Keepers of our stories. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education 39, 87–95. doi.org/10.1375/S1326011100001174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, D (2018, November) Beyond Pākehā paralysis, campfire session. Abstract of the Talking Teaching—Engaging Teaching Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand: University of Canterbury. Retrieved from https://akoacademy.ac.nz/images/Talking_Teaching_2018_Book_of_Abstracts_FINAL_2.pdf.Google Scholar
Te Aroha. Waiata (song) (unknown.d.) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uefJdSCkzPo.Google Scholar
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (nd) The Commonwealth. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Commonwealth-association-of-states.Google Scholar
The Select Committee on Aborigines (1837) Report from The Select Committee on Aborigines (British Settlements) With the Minutes of Evidence, Appendix and Index. Retrieved from http://www.empire.amdigital.co.uk.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/Documents/Details/Report%20from%20The%20Select%20Committee%20on%20Aborigines%20British%20Settlements.Google Scholar
Tuhiwai Smith, L (2008) Decolonizing Methodologies Research and Indigenous Peoples, 12th Edn, Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago Press.Google Scholar
Webber, M (2008) Walking the Space Between: Identity and Māori and Pākehā. Wellington, NZ: NZCER Press.Google Scholar