Māori @ Te Piringa - Faculty of Law
Māori Students - Ngā Tauira Māori
A Bicultural Commitment
The Faculty is committed to the development of a bicultural legal education in its curriculum, research interests and institutional structures. Māori perspectives, concepts and traditions form an integral part of several of the compulsory papers, in particular Legal Systems, Law and Societies and Jurisprudence, and are acknowledged in several others. A number of Law 4 optional papers focus on Māori law and issues or on comparative indigenous experiences with the law.
| LAWS405 - 11A (HAM) - The Treaty of Waitangi in Contemporary Aotearoa/New Zealand | Matiu Dickson |
| LAWS406 - 11B (HAM) - Maori Land Law | Linda Te Aho |
A first year course offers a stream or tutorial intended for Māori students who feel more comfortable in a predominantly Māori learning environment. The Masters programme also has papers devoted to Māori and Indigenous Law.
Māori development is being promoted in the Faculty not only through the education of individual students, but also by the establishment of the Faculty as a resource for the Māori community. Te Arikinui, Dame Te Atairangikaahu has made a generous donation to the Law Library to assist in the acquisition of a collection of books and materials of particular benefit to Māori students.
Part of the Faculty's commitment to Māori and to biculturalism is to provide Māori students with a supportive environment conducive to a fulfilling learning experience. Approximately 24% of the students enrolled in the Faculty are Māori which means that no Māori student need feel isolated in the Faculty. There is no admissions quota system. Māori law students have obtained a place at Waikato through their academic preparedness for the LLB programme. Nevertheless that programme is a demanding one for Māori and Pakeha students alike. A number of formal and informal support systems are in place to assist Māori students.
Māori Staff / Te Piringa
The Faculty has full-time Māori academic and administrative staff, and the advice and support of Whaea Elizabeth "Noki" Haggie, the Faculty's Kuia. Each Māori student is assigned to a Māori member of the academic staff to act as adviser of studies.
Kaitakawaenga Māori (Māori Liaison Coordinator)
The Kaitakawaenga (Māori Liaison Coordinator) within the Faculty coordinates study groups, additional tutorial assistance and the Māori Mentoring Programme.
Māori Mentoring Programme
The Māori Mentoring Programme is a service provided for ALL Māori students here at Te Piringa - Faculty of Law, and is operated on the principles of aroha, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga.
