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In February 2025, a group of four Indigenous Schulich Law students and two faculty members spent a transformative week at Victoria University of Wellington in Aotearoa (the Māori name for New Zealand) learning about Māori law and culture.

As part of a unique Directed Research Project course, third-year students Kristen Cooke and Brianna Ludlow and first-year students Mairi Denny and Neylan Stevens travelled from Halifax to Wellington with Schulich Law Professor Cheryl Simon and Director of the Indigenous Blacks & Mi'kmaq (IB&M) Initiative Kelsey Jones.

While there, the group took part in cultural and educational experiences ranging from meeting with Iwi (Māori social units) to experiencing a powhiri (traditional formal Māori welcome) and a mihi whakatau (a formal welcome but not on a marae). They also met with Māori law professors, students, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as visited the Waitangi Tribunal and National Library.

The course, the first of its kind at the law school, was made possible by funding from a three-year Global Skills Opportunity grant administered through Dalhousie’s International Centre, part of Employment and Social Development Canada, as well as a supportive and innovative partnership between Dalhousie University and its New Zealand partner university, the University of Victoria.

Created by Professor Simon, the course was designed to expose the students to legal issues being faced by the Māori people.

Before leaving, the students prepared for the experience by researching and reading the Treaty of Waitangi, familiarizing themselves with the current political climate between Māori and the Crown, and even learning the Strong Woman's Song, a Canadian intertribal Indigenous tribute to women and those who died in the Prison for Women in Kingston, Ontario, that they sang as their response as part of the powhiri.

Now that they have returned from New Zealand, they will present their experiences to Schulich Law faculty and graduate students during the weekly Research Hour seminar at the law school on Wednesday, March 12.

The students each reflected on their experience and shared what they felt was the most impactful part of their trip:

	Kristen Cooke: "One of the most inspiring aspects of Aotearoa is the wide use of Te Reo Māori into everyday life. From common greetings like ‘kia ora’ naturally woven into conversation, to Māori place names and bilingual legislation, Te Reo Māori is frequently used alongside English in a form of cultural code-switching. The widespread use of Māori language within a colonized nation not only strengthens cultural identity but enhances legal recognition and access to justice through visibility. This reinforces Indigenous sovereignty by promoting a mainstream recognition of Māori values and worldview."
	Mairi Denny: "Learning about Māori culture, language, and ceremonies through knowledge keepers and experiencing firsthand how music and the land are deeply woven into their traditions was incredibly impactful for me. Exploring the history of the Māori people and their ongoing efforts to assert their rights within the legal system gave me a deeper understanding of Indigenous self-determination and broadened my interest in learning about other Indigenous peoples globally. I noticed both similarities and differences between Māori culture and my Mi’kmaw culture, and I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to experience this in my lifetime."
	Brianna Ludlow: "The most impactful and inspiring part of the trip for me was witnessing the strength and resilience of Māori people, laws, and culture. Despite the historical and ongoing harms of colonialism, Māori continue to express their laws, worldviews, and culture through song, ceremony, and language and have engaged in strong activism to ensure that the principles of their governing treaty remain respected and enforced. We have much to learn from them in revitalizing, validating, and reconnecting to our Indigenous laws, worldviews, and cultures in Canada."
	Neylan Stevens: "The most impactful part of this trip was observing how the Māori legal traditions actively influence Aotearoa's legal landscape. This trip reminded me that, as a Mi’kmaw law student, Indigenous law is not just about the dark history; our culture is beautiful and worth embracing while incorporating legal values. Learning from other Māori lawyers, professors, and law students about their experiences in law school and learning about the Māori culture and language from a legal perspective was powerful. My dedication to sharing the Mi’kmaq culture and language has drastically changed from this experience, especially seeing the Māori students unapologetically embrace their culture at the law school."