Travel and Learning Award for Mihiata Pirini
Supporting Mihiata Pirini to learn about indigenous law research, method, and practice in Canada and share her learnings with Māori law academics across Aotearoa through online and in-person wānanga and kōrero.
Borrin Foundation Travel and Learning Award
Mihiata’s plan
Mihiata intends to conduct research for a month in Vancouver to build her skills and knowledge in indigenous law research, method, and practice. She will practise and evaluate methods for engaging with Indigenous legal traditions, and explore the concept of law and the societal narratives that impact our perceptions of law. Mihiata will share what she learns with Māori legal academics across the six law faculties in Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as with colleagues in the Otago Law Faculty. She hopes to contribute to legal academics’ kete of skills and knowledge, and encourage methodologically sound and appropriate engagements with tikanga Māori in teaching and research.
About Mihiata
Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Whakatōhea
Mihiata is a law lecturer at Te Kaupeka Tātai Ture, the Faculty of Law, at University of Otago. She researches Māori issues through a socio-legal and Tiriti lens, and has a particular interest in the evolving relationship between law emanating from the state and law emanating from tikanga Māori. Her LLM completed in 2020 focuses on the application of design-based and kaupapa-Māori concepts to the Māori Land Court. Mihiata grew up in Te Whanganui-a-Tara and worked in the public sector before moving to Ōtepoti Dunedin, where she enjoys exploring the ridges and coastlines and venturing to other beautiful spots in Te Wai Pounamu.
Grant Amount
$9,988 in 2023 to support travel
“Receiving this award from the Borrin Foundation opens the way to an enormously valuable learning experience. I have so much to learn from this opportunity, and I am looking forward to sharing that learning with others.”