鈥淏efore colonisation, iwi and hap奴 with tino rangatiratanga were active political and economic entities making their own decisions according to their tikanga (law) and kawa (rules). They engaged in different forms of economic activity including agriculture, trade and warfare, but were economically self-sustainable,鈥 she says.
Colonisation imposed new systems and intergenerational poverty, which 35 years of Treaty Settlements has had mixed success in alleviating, says Evans.听
鈥淚wi and hap奴 accept State funding through Treaty Settlements, post-Treaty deals, or programmes such as Wh膩nau Ora to participate in the economy and build up wealth and resources for their wh膩nau. The tino rangatiratanga of iwi and hap奴 is impacted through this reliance on State funding.
鈥淎rguably, iwi and hap奴 do not have autonomy, sovereignty or interdependence as they are economically limited, and their decisions and goals are at times, restricted by a lack of resources,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he development of fiscal authority, through for example, taxation, could help iwi and hap奴 to achieve their goals of rangatiratanga.鈥
Evans听(Ng膩ti Tama, Ng膩ti Pamoana, P膩keh膩) was one of five women scholars to receive the scholarship from the Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation and Ng膩 Pae o te M膩ramatanga, New Zealand鈥檚 M膩ori Centre of Research Excellence.
Co-Director of听, Professor Kukutai says, 鈥淭his is a stunning outcome for our M膩ori legal community. These five w膩hine are incredible scholars, leaders, and changemakers. We are so pleased that the Borrin Foundation recognises that and has provided such generous financial support.鈥
A standout student, Evans has previously received a Ng膩i Tahu Centre Doctoral Scholarship and support to travel to Canada to meet key First Nations leaders in the fiscal and regulatory authority space.
From a large wh膩nau, she worked in retail to fund her studies and gained experience as a legal clerk and a solicitor before returning to UC to lecture, help embed m膩tauranga M膩ori into law education and serve as the K膩 Waimaero | Ng膩i Tahu Centre representative on Faculty.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important that people see that M膩ori can and do achieve in different ways. I also try and make myself available to M膩ori students including Te Putaiki, but also P膩keh膩 who are interested in Te Tiriti and tikanga,鈥 says Evans.
The scholarship enables Evans to carve out time for her research, and supports her to balance several roles, helped by 鈥渁 very supportive partner and wh膩nau, coffee, and a swim in the sea every day I can鈥.
Read more about Rachael Evans听here.听听
The Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation听
罢丑别听was established in 2018 through a $38 million bequest by the late Judge Ian Borrin. It is a philanthropic organisation which supports legal research, education, and scholarship. The Foundation鈥檚 current strategic areas of focus are the criminal justice system, family law and access to civil justice.
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