Warming up the Treaty—Whakamahanatia te Tiriti

Inspired by my research into the government-sponsored Curriculum Review Committee of the mid-1980s, this article considers the possibilities of the Treaty of Waitangi as a “warm idea” for educators. Composed mainly of teachers, the committee was responsible for writing the Treaty into a national curriculum principle for the first time. Connecting with this group’s experiences 30 years on (while another major national education review is currently underway) might support efforts to rethink and refresh the place of the Treaty in the life of schools.