Tania Te Whenua

Tania is a passionate educator and practicing solicitor specializing in Māori commercial law. She is the former Programme Manager Māori at Victoria University’s Centre for Lifelong Learning and co-wrote the Centre’s Māori language resources. Tania also managed Māori educational programmes for the Peace Foundation Aotearoa – a not-for-profit organisation which educates on peaceful conflict resolution in New Zealand schools. Prior to this Tania held the role of senior researcher Māori at Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand, where she worked across the curatorial and repatriation teams to support the generation of knowledge on Māori taonga and customary practices. Tania is known for fostering confidence in those with little or no exposure to the Māori language and culture in a safe learning environment.

Tania also consults directly to organisations seeking to implement the Treaty of Waitangi in practice. She is a Chartered Associate Member of Governance New Zealand and an Executive Committee Member, Governance New Zealand Women on Boards supporting the strategic implementation of Treaty frameworks within a number of organisations including Te Taumata, the Māori International Trade Forum administered by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Tania is also a member of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Rivers Advisory Committee, a Local Government Development Contributions Commissioner and an Executive Committee Member of Lawyers for Climate Change Action NZ.