All Years
Connecting current events to the past: The Dawn Raids
Teaching Resource
On 1 August 2021 the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Jacinda Ardern, apologised to New Zealand’s Pacific communities for the Government’s implementation of the immigration laws of the 1970s that led to the events of the Dawn Raids. In her apology, the Prime Minister stated that the past actions of the Crown were wrong and acknowledged the distress and hurt that they have caused to generations of Pacific New Zealanders.
About this resource
The Dawn Raids story is part of a wider narrative about the settlement and experiences of Pacific people in Aotearoa New Zealand and the exercise and effects of power. Kaiako and ākonga can use this story as an entry point for learning about:
- the migration experiences and settlement stories of Pacific people
- how immigration policy has been used to exclude some peoples and to restrict conditions for entry and citizenship
- the social action led by the Polynesian Panthers and other groups to contest power and address injustices
- our collective and diverse identities as New Zealanders.
The resource provides:
- a summary of an event and how it relates to Aotearoa New Zealand's histories
- suggested inquiry questions and activities to support teaching and learning about our past
- curated resources for further information.