Indigenous Leadership

Lesson Overview

Year Level: Year 6
Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Unit: Indigenous Leadership Explorations (Lesson 1 of 10)
Curriculum Alignment:

• Australian Curriculum – HASS (History/Geography – Years 5 & 6)
  • ACHASSK137: The diversity of First Nations Peoples and their cultures, past and present.
  • ACHASSK135: Significant figures in history and their impact on communities.
• General Capabilities:
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • Personal and Social Capability

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Define leadership and explore different leadership qualities.
2. Understand leadership from an Indigenous perspective, including values such as mana (authority, prestige) and whakapapa (genealogy, lineage).
3. Identify and reflect on leadership qualities in themselves and their communities.

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & Tuning In (15 mins)

Class Discussion: What Makes a Leader?

• Write the word LEADERSHIP on the board.
• Ask students:
  • What does leadership mean to you?
  • Can anyone be a leader?
  • What qualities do great leaders have?
  • Who are some leaders you admire? Why?
• Record responses on a class mind map.

Introducing Indigenous Leadership

• Explain that leadership can look different across cultures.
• Introduce two key Indigenous leadership concepts:
  • Mana (Maori term): Authority, prestige, honour – leadership comes with responsibility.
  • Whakapapa: Understanding where you come from – leadership is often tied to ancestry and responsibility to the community.

Teacher Note: Use real-world analogies. For example, compare mana to how students respect and trust class leaders or sports captains based on their actions.

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2. Engaging Task: Indigenous Leaders & Their Impact (20 mins)

Mini-Biography Exploration (Small Groups)

• Split students into groups of 3-4. Assign each group one Indigenous leader to briefly research and present:
  • Dame Whina Cooper (Maori advocate for land rights)
  • Epeli Hau’ofa (Tongan author & scholar promoting Pasifika identity)
  • Lisa Matisoo-Smith (Anthropologist linking Pasifika ancestry to Indigenous history)
  • Sir Tipene O’Regan (Ngāi Tahu leader advocating for economic and cultural empowerment)

Guiding Questions:

• Who was this person?
• What did they do that showed leadership?
• How did their actions influence their community?
• Which leadership values (mana, whakapapa) do they reflect?

Teacher Note: Prepare short fact sheets if technology is limited.

• Each group presents their findings in 1–2 minutes.
• Draw connections to contemporary leadership: “How do these values exist in today’s society?”

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3. Personal Reflection: Leadership in Our Own Lives (15 mins)

Activity: My Leadership Qualities

Students will complete a short journal reflection responding to:

1. Three leadership qualities I have are…
2. A time I showed leadership was…
3. How can I lead in my community/home/school?

Differentiation: Students who need more support can use sentence starters or discuss verbally with a partner.

Whole-Class Reflection:

• Invite 3–4 students to share their thoughts. Connect responses to the idea that leadership exists in small, everyday actions.

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4. Conclusion: Key Takeaways (5 mins)

• Recap key ideas:

  • Leadership is about actions, not just titles.
  • In Indigenous cultures, leadership involves mana (respect, responsibility) and whakapapa (heritage, history).
  • Everyone has leadership qualities – how we use them shapes our communities.

• Pose a final thought for students to ponder:

  • Who are the Indigenous leaders in Australia that inspire change today? We’ll explore this in our next lesson!

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Assessment & Reflection

• Formative Assessment:

  • Class discussion responses (teacher observation).
  • Group presentations (participation and understanding).
  • Reflection journals (self-awareness of leadership qualities).

• Student Self-Assessment: Exit Slip (on sticky notes or in notebooks)

  • Write one thing they learned about Indigenous leadership today.
  • One question they still have about leadership.

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Materials & Resources

• Whiteboard & markers
• Printed leader fact sheets (if no devices available)
• Student journals or notebooks
• Post-it notes for exit slips

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Extension Activities

For students who finish early or want to explore further:

• Research an Indigenous leader from Australia (e.g., Vincent Lingiari, Lowitja O’Donoghue).
• Create a leadership profile on a poster or PowerPoint.
• Write a letter to a local leader asking about their leadership journey.

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This engaging and thoughtful lesson introduces students to leadership through an Indigenous perspective, connecting personal development with historical and cultural understanding. Implementing this framework ensures deep learning and reflection, setting the stage for the rest of the Indigenous Leadership Explorations unit. 🚀