Māori connections to place—through the lenses of science and law

Carwyn Jones will explain how Māori law is inherently connected to place—even embedded in the land, as reflected in the whakatauki “Kei raro I ngā tarutaru, ko ngā tuhinga o ngā tūpuna. Beneath the herbs and plants, are the writings of the ancestors.” Carwyn will explore the importance of place-based learning in understanding Māori law.

Ocean Mercier will discuss how tangata whenua connections to place are expressed in contemporary settings. To illustrate, she will present mapping work carried out at Te Kawa a Māui / the School of Māori Studies alongside research that investigates how environmental mahi in Māori communities deepens connections to place.

Carwyn Jones is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Law whose research focuses on the Treaty of Waitangi and indigenous legal traditions.

Ocean Mercier is head of Te Kawa a Māui and researches the connections and relationships between mātauranga and science, particularly in education and environmental contexts.

About the spotlight series lectures

The Victoria University of Wellington spotlight series lectures - an opportunity to sample the research undertaken by the university's academic, in bite-sized lunchtime lectures. The series is free, but registration for each is essential. 

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