Ranginui Walker: A case study of Giftedness and Talent

Ranginui Walker: A case study of Giftedness and Talent

ABSTRACT Research shows that social circumstances have an effect on the development of an

individual’s giftedness and talent (Freeman, 2000; Gange, 2004; Ministry of Education, 2008;

Tannenbaum, 2004). This was definitely so in the case of Ranginui Walker. This article

establishes how Gagne’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent corresponds with

Walker’s manifestation of giftedness and talent. It describes how Walker’s talents were

largely encouraged by his whāngai mother and father, and how this encouragement and

support was one of the most influencing factors in his development as a Māori leader. This

article determines that whānau support in the recognition and development of gifts and

talents is one of the most important factors in assisting the gifted and talented to achieve to

their potential.

Emma Scobie-Jennings Ranginui Walker: Case Study

2

Introduction How did a self-professed shy, introverted boy (Spoonley, 2009) turn into one of the

most recognised leaders of the ‘Māori renaissance’ of the 1970s and 80s? Professor

Ranginui Walker is one of the few Māori leaders who assumed responsibility for crossing the

cultural divide between Māori and Pākehā and attempting to make one understand the

other (Spoonley). From a young age Walker was groomed to be a future leader, as Spoonley

(p. 35) notes, “it was made very clear that Walker was the bright one [of the whanau] who

would receive the necessary financial help to enable him to go to boarding school.” There

was also an expectation that this education would benefit the whānau and hapū at some

point in the future. This article is going to look at the influence the social environmental

factors of whānau, schools, tertiary education and social surroundings have on the

development of giftedness and talent, particularly in the case of Ranginui Walker. This

study will assess how Gagne’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent is consistent

with the ‘reality’ of a gifted and talented person.

The main source of data used in this case study was Paul Spoonley’s (2009)

biography of Ranginui Walker, Mata Toa: the Life and Times of Ranginui Walker. As

Shavinina (2006) notes, the use of biographical accounts and the case study method to

understand talented, highly accomplished individuals is not feasible without reliance on

such accounts. Throughout this article the definitions of giftedness and talent will be

differentiated in line with Gagne’s (2003) model. Giftedness will refer to “the possession

and use of untrained and spontaneously expressed natural abilities, in at least one ability

domain”, and talent will refer to “the superior mastery of systematically developed abilities

(or skills) and knowledge in at least one field of human activity” (Gange, 2003, p. 60).

Establishing Walker’s Giftedness and Talent It cannot be denied that Ranginui Walker was gifted in childhood and developed into

a very talented adult. He has been recognised as an author, biographer, historian,

academic, commentator, rangatira, activist and leader. He has had immense impact on how


3

New Zealand has developed as a bicultural country. From a young age Walker’s potential

giftedness was recognised and encouraged by his whānau. There are a multitude of models

of giftedness and talent and as Moltzen (1999) notes definitions of giftedness have changed

significantly over time. During Walker’s childhood until the 1960s, giftedness was equated

with high intelligence which could be demonstrated through testing. Walker displayed this

high intelligence, but also was recognised by his whānau for his leadership ability. When

taking anecdotal evidence from his biography and comparing it to Gagne’s Differentiated

Model of Giftedness and Talent (Gagne, 2003), Walker definitely demonstrated intellectual

and socio-affective giftedness. This giftedness was then developed into mostly academic

and social action talents through learning, training and practising as Gagne demonstrates. It

was also due to catalysts acting on the development – especially those of environment and

motivation.

Gagne defines intellectual giftedness as being among the top ten percent in the

areas of fluid reasoning, verbal, spatial, memory, observation skills, judgement and

metacognition. Socio-affective giftedness is defined by Gagne as displaying perceptiveness,

communication skills and influence through leadership and persuasion to a high degree.

Walker definitely displayed these two aspects as will be demonstrated throughout this

article.

Gagne’s (2003) model outlines that giftedness is developed into talent through

informal and formal learning and practicing. This process can be positively or negatively

impacted on by intrapersonal and environmental catalysts. Intrapersonal catalysts are

divided into two subcategories: physical and psychological factors. The physical factors

consist of a person’s motivation and volition, which play a large role in initiating the process

of development, as well as guiding and sustaining the development. Walker’s motivation to

succeed during his tertiary study was one of the factors that allowed his talents to develop

and this will be discussed further later in the article. The physical factors that Gagne lists in

his model are aspects such as characteristics, handicaps and health. These did not play such


4

a large role in Walker’s development, but are definitely an important part of the model as

they could have a large impact on another’s talent development or lack of.

Gagne (2003) defines the environmental catalysts that may have a positive or

negative effect on the process of talent development as being: milieu, persons, provisions

and events. The environmental factor that had the largest impact on the development of

Walker’s talent was milieu – the physical, cultural, social and familial environment in which

he grew up and developed his career in. This will also be discussed further throughout this

article.

To confirm Walker’s giftedness and talent, the Ministry of Education (2002) lists

several points to describe those who are gifted, all of which agree with what can be

concluded from Walker’s upbringing. The Ministry of Education states that gifted and

talented learners are those with exceptional abilities relative to most other people. These

abilities were noticed by Walker’s whānau and lead to him being afforded opportunities not

given to other members of the whānau. The second point that the Ministry of Education

notes is that these individuals commonly display characteristics that show they have the

potential to achieve outstanding performance. It cannot be disputed that Walker went on

to achieve outstanding performance, and that the characteristics he displayed such as

learning quickly and reading at a young age enabled this achievement to be encouraged.

The third point the Ministry of Education notes is that giftedness and talent can mean

different things to different communities and cultures. This is certainly the case with

Walker, as his potential leadership qualities were highly valued.

In the 1950s while Walker was growing up, the common Pākehā conception of

giftedness was that of a high IQ (McAlpine, 2004); however in Māori culture the conception

of giftedness had and still has eight components (Bevan-Brown, 2004). There are two

components that Bevan-Brown notes which are particularly relevant to Walker’s case; that

the areas of giftedness and talent recognised are broad and wide-ranging, and that


5

importance is placed on both ‘qualities’ and ‘abilities’. Walker’s whānau recognised that his

gifts were not just academic, but that he also had the potential to be a talented leader. This

shows that their conception of giftedness was wider than purely academic.

The Importance of Whānau: Nature versus Nurture Ranginui Joseph Isaac Walker was born in Lower Waiaua, near Ōpōtiki, in 1932 to a

teenage mother, Mihikore Walker and father, George Edwards. Walker’s birth mother was

unable to keep him, partly because of her age and partly because she was betrothed to

another man who refused to look after a baby who was not his. Walker was given to

Mihikore’s older sister, Wairata Walker and her husband Isaac, who were unable to have

children. These were to be the people he would call mother and father, and will be referred

to as such throughout this article.

In Māoridom the practice of looking after another’s children is termed ‘whāngai’. It

is different from the European version of adoption or foster care in that children are placed

with whānau members and do not have to relinquish claims to their birth identity. The

openness of whāngai means that the child can have knowledge of their birth parents

(McRae & Nikora, 2006). As McRae and Nikora note, whāngai guarantees the child contact

with his wider whanau and enables them to develop relationships with relatives. However,

the first impact of social circumstances on the development of Walker’s giftedness arises

from the fact that he was a whāngai baby and was not raised by his birth parents. This

raises the question of how the nature versus nurture debate effects the development of

giftedness and talent. If Walker had been raised by his birth parents would he have

demonstrated his gifts in childhood, and would these gifts have developed into talents in

adulthood? Gagne (2003) believes that the development of giftedness and its level of

expression are partially controlled by a child’s genetic endowment.


6

Tannenbaum (2004) states the evidence in favour of nature over nurture in

exhibiting giftedness is extensive. However, the Ministry of Education (2008) takes this

notion further and states that although giftedness is inherited (nature), it is the external

influences a child experiences (nurture) that cause it to develop. In the case of Walker the

innate gifts of leadership where not glaringly obvious in his childhood but there were

characteristics of giftedness which his whānau noticed and encouraged, such as his ability to

learn quickly and his love of reading. “Walker remembers [at age five] reading about the

Springbok rugby team and a sailing regatta in Auckland won by the yacht Ranger”

(Spoonley, 2009, p. 28). His whānau recognised that he was able from a young age and that

he had the determination to succeed educationally, so they saw investing in his education as

appropriate. Aspects of both of Gagne’s catalysts are at play here – the environmental and

intrapersonal.

The nurture factor came into effect because Walker’s mother especially, encouraged

his giftedness and was adamant that he would gain a good education. Both parents decided

that Walker would be better educated at St Peters Māori College (now known as Hato

Petera), rather than Ōpōtiki District High School. It was made very clear to members of the

household, now comprising of several whāngai children, that Walker was the ‘bright one’

and was to receive the necessary financial help to enable him to go to boarding school.

However as Spoonley (p. 35) notes, there was “an expectation that this education would

benefit the whānau and hapū at some point in the future.” Bevan-Brown (2004) notes that

this is one of the eight components that make up the Māori concept of giftedness, that

there is an inherent expectation that a person’s gifts and talents will be used to benefit

others. She also notes that mana tangata is often accorded to people with special abilities,

especially in areas of traditional knowledge and service to others. It was expected that

Walker would become a future leader and would use his talents to help others. Had Walker

been raised by his biological parents would he have been afforded the same opportunities?

Would his gifts have been recognised? It is impossible to know. Genes are important, but as

Freeman (2000) states so are the circumstances that the child is raised in.


7

Plomin and Price (2003) note that the influence genetics have on complex traits such

as giftedness are not hard-wired determinants. Instead genetics contribute to the odds that

a person’s development will progress in a certain direction. A study by Bloom (1985)

discovered that families clearly play a very important role in the realisation of giftedness

and talent. He found that there were four things that parents of talented adults had done

as they were growing up. These were: identifying and encouraging giftedness; obtaining

competent instruction for the child; modelling a strong commitment to certain interests in

their own lives; and reinforcing the giftedness by showing enthusiasm. Fortunately for

Walker, his parents undertook these four facets and his gifts developed into talent in

adulthood.

Walker whānau members saw many similarities between Wairata and Ranginui

Walker in their characteristics and dedication to learning. Wairata believed in the power of

education and Walker took on board this belief and achieved educational levels that even

she might not have anticipated. She was described as mentally strong as well as extremely

hard-working: Walker’s career was to be marked by the same values. They are also similar

in their high expectations of themselves and others and their passion for causes and

community. These similarities demonstrate the impact nurture has on the development of

talent. Nature and nurture both seem to have their place in the development of giftedness

and talent, although in the case of Walker’s giftedness and talent, nurture definitely takes a

central role due to the circumstances of his upbringing.

Primary and Secondary Education: The Beginnings of Talent

Development Through the influence of his parents, Walker’s schooling enabled his gifts to continue

and saw them begin to develop into talents. However this was to come at a cost. Walker

started at Ōmarūmutu Native School in February 1937, before his fifth birthday. He already

knew the alphabet and had received presents of an abacus and slate from his parents at this

early age – further evidence of the encouragement to learn they provided. Walker was to


8

be teased incessantly at Ōmarūmutu Native School though and a year later he was

transferred to the Ōpōtiki Convent School. The cost of his early schooling was that he soon

lost the ability to speak Māori and looking back, feels as though he lost much of his Māori

identity at this point.

In 1946, at age twelve, Walker was sent to St. Peters Māori College in Auckland to

board. This happened at a time when education for Māori was undertaking a large shift in

intent. Up until the 1940s education for Māori had been largely focussed on agriculture. As

the 1940s progressed, however, a more enlightened view was adopted and in 1945, the

Minister of Māori Affairs, H. G. R Mason saw the responsibilities of education for Māori as

being “the teaching of English and intellectual skills alongside certain manual skills, and

secondly, ensuring that Māori culture was passed on to younger generations” (Spoonley,

2009, p. 34). This change was reflected at Hato Petera and they began to provide a very

different education with the help of educationalists who had higher expectations of what

Māori could achieve. Walker was one of the academic stars of the time that he attended

and he was awarded a Continuation Scholarship in 1947. For unknown reasons Walker

attended Ōpōtiki District High School for his final year of secondary schooling in 1949.

During this year he had to make a decision about a future career. Walker had read in the

paper about a shortage of teachers, a job that was secure and valued, with payment for

training. He made his decision and entered teachers’ college in Epsom undertaking the

primary teachers’ course in 1950-51.

Tertiary Education Walker was to enter tertiary education as part of the Māori quota, a scheme to

encourage Māori to train as teachers. He believes that his previous education had lead to a

process of deculturalisation: he could no longer speak Māori; he had limited understanding

of colonial history and its impact on Māori, and little knowledge of Māori traditions. At

teachers’ college, although his exposure was still filtered through Pākehā eyes, it was better

than he had previously had access to and he took a growing interest in all things Māori. This


9

interest was encouraged by two sections spent at the Auckland Museum where he “gained

a new appreciation for the richness of Māori life and politics” (Spoonley, p. 42).

Walker began his probationary year of teaching in 1952, fifty kilometres from

Whāngarei in a small, close-knit community called Pipiwai. As Walker had entered teachers’

college as part of the Māori quota he was to be bonded to a Māori school for a year. He had

made it clear that he did not want to return to Ōpōtiki for unknown reasons, so was bound

for Pipiwai which offered an environment which Walker enjoyed. The community was

similar to the one he grew up in; however there was a large difference in that Walker was

now seen to be a person of power. As a teacher he was a central part of the community and

in one of the better paid and more secure positions. This was not to be the end of his

tertiary education. In 1955 Walker returned to Auckland to continue his education with his

wife Deirdre, whom he married in August 1953, and their first child, Michael, who was born

in 1954.

As Walker gained academic qualifications and new jobs and continued to develop his

talents his life was to change significantly. He was accumulating the skills and experiences

that would bring credit to his whānau and hapū, as well as prepare him for the leadership

role that his parents had intended for him. He was the one that Wairata had chosen for his

ability to be educated and the rest of the whānau were required to invest in this. In the

years from 1955 to 1970 Walker continued his education, established his whānau and began

an involvement on the political and cultural life of Māori. He taught at Mount Eden Primary

initially while beginning part-time study towards a Bachelor of Arts. He found the

curriculum at university poorly organised and taught by people with a range of abilities,

from very good to very poor. It took seven years to complete his degree, as study was part

of a very busy life by this stage. He was teaching during the day and teaching night school at

Seddon Technical College, mainly English and arithmetic to Pacific migrants, to get extra

money for his expanding whānau. He was also teaching Te Reo Māori at Queen Victoria

Girls’ School.


10

In 1962, Walker returned to teachers’ college in Auckland to complete his secondary

teacher’s certificate which consisted of two years of college and an additional probationary

period of teaching. By chance Walker became a lecturer at the college from 1962-66. He

was approached by Harry Lambert and appointed to a position in Māori studies. However

he found that no-one was particularly interested in Māori studies and the students viewed

Lambert’s courses as a bit of a joke. Walker described Lambert as someone who was not

into transforming action, that he was happy with the status quo. Walker however was not

and this was to be a defining moment for his career. He began to change the courses,

improving the conceptual content, implementing practical exercises and providing field trips

to marae. He attracted more students, nearly all Pākehā, and the courses and Walker’s

performance began to be noticed by the college administration and seen in a much more

favourable light.

The above aspect of the development of Walker’s talents relates to Gagne’s (2003)

theory that chance is a catalyst to talent development. Without this chance to demonstrate

his academic talents, Walker may not have continued his education past gaining his teaching

certificate and he may not have developed the social action talents that were to become

evident later in his career. Walker decided to continue with his tertiary studies after

completing his Bachelor of Arts and Diploma in Teaching. He completed a Master of Arts

majoring in anthropology in 1965, as Māori studies were to remain part of the Department

of Anthropology until 1990. Walker completed his thesis on the social relationships of

Māori students at Auckland Teachers’ College. He continued to enjoy the educational

experience and was prompted to begin a PhD. The topic for this was to be the social

adjustment of Māori to an urban environment entitled ‘Māori in a Metropolis’. While

completing his PhD, Walker was asked to take on a temporary lectureship at the University

of Auckland, to lecture on Māori mythology and tradition. He had gained a reputation as a

good lecturer who was able to provide insight into te ao Māori (the world of Māori) which

previously had been taught poorly or not at all.


11

Walker demonstrated the determination gained from his mother in collecting

material for his PhD. He followed a very strict regime in gathering and then writing up the

material, which was to prove a way of working and writing that he followed through his

academic life. Walker continued to demonstrate his gifts and talents throughout his tertiary

education. The process of talent development manifests itself when the gifted person

engages in systematic learning and practicing, as mentioned earlier (Gagne, 2003).

Throughout his tertiary education Walker demonstrated this commitment and consistently

developed his talents in this manner. Gagne believes that talents emerge progressively

from the transformation of gifts into the well-trained and systematically developed skills

that are characteristic of the chosen field. Walker’s chosen field was that of education and

politics and he chose to continue his education in these matters to the highest level. As

Gagne notes, the higher the level of talent sought, the more intensive the learning and

practicing must be.

Walker’s task commitment was obvious in his perusal of a PhD qualification and the

way he went about gathering and compiling his thesis. It is also obvious in the way he

conducted his work. He always made sure his work reflected his views and he was not

prepared to be polite for the sake of it or to offer a view that conformed to expectations.

He has challenged politicians, government departments, bureaucrats and other public

figures to explain their policies or views. Walker’s intellect was apparent through several

aspects of his academic career, and definitively demonstrated by the awarding of the

Maharaia Winiata Memorial Prize for his thesis. This prize was awarded to the most

outstanding original essay on some aspect of Māori culture.

Other Environmental Catalysts Environmental catalysts can have significant impact in a multitude of ways and their

effects may be positive or negative (Gagne, 2003). Throughout his life, Walker’s social

surrounding had an impact on the development of his gifts and talents in more ways than

can be described here. A person’s surroundings may exert influence at a macroscopic level


12

(geographically, demographically and sociologically) as well as a microscopic level (through

the size of whānau, socioeconomic status, friends or mentors). Just two factors will be

discussed here, Walker’s early social surroundings and their effects and at the microscopic

level the positive impact his wife had on the development of his talents.

Initially Walker’s surroundings were comprised of mainly adult company, until age

seven he was “an only and cherished child in a house of adults” (Spoonley, 2009, p. 255).

He was surrounded by people, especially aunts, who gave him grounding in Māori values

and protocols. This grounding was undermined by Walker’s early education which

promoted assimilation and was then rediscovered through immersion into the Māori world

while completing his PhD. Walker’s connections with Māori became more extensive

through his involvement with the Auckland District Māori Council and he regained his

fluency in Māori and developed greater involvement in Māori communities and

organisations. These social surroundings may have both helped and hindered the

development of Walker’s gifts and talents. Through his early life he was given grounding in

Māoridom that would re-exert itself later on and which contributed significantly to his

talents. However, without the assimilation factor Walker may not have been so successful

academically. He may not have had the skills to cope in what was essentially the Pākehā

construct of high level tertiary education.

Another factor in Walker’s social surroundings was his marriage to Deirdre Dodson, a

Pākehā from a migrant English whānau. They were married in 1953 amid concerns by both

their parents over the racial intermarriage. Several people have described how successful

their marriage was and still is. Geoff Walker, Ranginui Walker’s publisher states that people

who believe Walker to be an angry radical would be surprised by his relationship with

Deidre (Spoonley, 2009). A lot of his ideas are influenced by her, and publicly and privately

they have a terrific working relationship. Deidre is Walker’s ‘eyes and’ ears at events and

she has supported him through his various roles. Deidre was definitely an important factor

in the development of Walker’s talents. Without such support he may not have had the

opportunities to pursue his academic education or develop his career.


13

Gagne notes that many different persons may have a positive or negative influence

on the process of talent development. Deidre appears to have a distinctly positive influence

by supporting Walker in his ambitions and enabling him to complete his work. Spoonley

(2009) writes how in Walker’s early tertiary career Deidre would completely run the

household to enable Walker to study, and how later when he was writing books or academic

papers they would go away on holiday with the children and Walker would spend the

majority of the time writing in order to meet a deadline. Without the support to be able to

pursue these opportunities Walker may not have developed the level of talent that he has

displayed in his career.

Conclusion Ranginui Walker represents a generation that sought to re-establish the mana of

Māori in New Zealand. They challenged the public to discover what it meant to be tangata

whenua in a modern, democratic state. Walker’s mana as a Māori who had gained

advanced educational qualifications, combined with his experience in transforming

traditional and often conservative Māori organisations, put him in a position of leadership.

He deliberately sought to confront those that were hostile to Māori political and cultural

ambitions and he helped dramatically change aspects of New Zealand society between the

late 1960s and the 1990s. He enjoyed success in several political leadership roles: the

Auckland District Māori Council, the University of Auckland and Te Whakatōhea.

Walker’s personal ambitions coupled with his giftedness for leadership enabled him

to gain access to a world that seldom involved Māori, this included his position as a senior

academic and involvement in organisations at the heart of racial debates in the 1970s and

1980s. This mix of involvement, experiences and skills in both Māori and Pākehā worlds

placed Walker at the centre of societal change.


14

Walker’s development typifies Gagne’s model and this case study demonstrates how

aspects of the model fit with the reality of the development of a person’s gifts and talents.

Although no one person is going to fit completely with any model or theory, Gagne’s

Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent provides a framework on which to begin to

recognise how gifts and talents can be identified and developed.


15

References Bevan-Brown. J. (2004). Gifted and talented Māori learners. In D. Alpine & R. Moltzen

(Eds.), Gifted and Talented: New Zealand perspectives. (2nd Ed.) (pp. 171-198).

Palmerston North: Kanuka Grove Press.

Bloom, B. (1985). Developing talent in young people. New York: Ballantine Books.

Gange, F. (2003). Transforming gifts into talents: The DMGT as a developmental theory. In N

Colangelo & G. A. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of Gifted Education (3rd ed.) (pp. 60-74).

Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Freeman, J. (2000, January 1). Families: The source of gifts. Mensa Research Journal. (ERIC

Document Reproduction Service No. ED443237) Retrieved July 8, 2009, from ERIC

database.

Moltzen, R. (2004). Historical perspectives. In D. Alpine & R. Moltzen (Eds.), Gifted and

Talented: New Zealand perspectives. (2nd Ed.) (pp. 1-32). Palmerston North: Kanuka

Grove Press.

McRae, K. O. & Nikora, L. M. (2006). Whāngai: remembering, understanding and

experiencing. Retrieved 10 July, 2009 from

http://www.review.mai.ac.nz/index.php/MR/article/viewFile/16/16

Ministry of Education (2008). Nurturing gifted and talented children: A parent-teacher

partnership. Wellington: Learning Media.

Plomin, R. & Price, T. S. (2003). The relationship between genetics and intelligence. In N

Colangelo & G. A. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of Gifted Education (3rd ed.) (pp. 113-123).

Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Shavinina, L. V. (2006). Micro-social factors in the development of entrepreneurial

giftedness: The case of Richard Branson. High Ability Studies, 17(2), pp. 225-235.

Retrieved 8 July, 2009 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13598130601121482

Spoonley, P. (2009). Mata toa: The life and times of Ranginui Walker. Auckland, NZ: Penguin

Books.

http://www.review.mai.ac.nz/index.php/MR/article/viewFile/16/16

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13598130601121482


16

Tannenbaum, A. J. (2003). Nature and nurture of giftedness. In N Colangelo & G. A. Davis

(Eds.), Handbook of Gifted Education (3rd ed.) (pp. 45-59). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Ranginui Walker: A case study of Giftedness and Talent

Documents

Transcript of Ranginui Walker: A case study of Giftedness and Talent