The time has come for kaupapa Maori ideology and epistemology to move from the margins and claim legitimate space within the discipline of education. Kaupapa Maori ideology provides a dynamic framework within which Maori are better able to make meaning of the world and work for change. Increasingly, kaupapa Maori is being used to inform policies and practices across a range of sectors and initiatives. Research carried out by Bevan-Brown and Bevan-Brown (1999), indicates that for special educational policies and practices to be more responsive to and effective for Maori, there is a need to incorporate Maori values and philosophies. Bishop (1996a) contends that the solutions for Maori do not reside within the culture that has traditionally marginalised Maori; rather, the solutions are located within Maori culture itself. An example of one such solution is the hui whakatika process (Hooper, Winslade, Drewery, Monk & Macfarlane, 1999), a process which is underpinned by traditional Maori concepts of discipline, and one which is able to be likened to more recent and contemporary notions of restorative justice. This paper highlights the role of a kaitakawaenga as he works collaboratively with whanau members to seek resolution and restore harmony by facilitating a hui whakatika process. (Contains 28 footnotes.)