#education: MĀORI SCHOLAR LOOKS TO SÁMI MODEL FOR INDIGENOUS GOVERNANCE LESSONS

Matthew Tukaki Posted On April 3, 2026

A leading Māori legal scholar is turning to Europe’s Indigenous Sámi people in a bid to strengthen understanding of Indigenous governance systems in Aotearoa.

University of Auckland law professor Claire Charters has received support through a Borrin Foundation Travel and Learning Award to study Sámi governance institutions across Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Her research focuses on how Sámi parliaments operate as mechanisms for Indigenous self-determination, and what lessons they may hold for constitutional arrangements in New Zealand.

The Sámi, numbering around 80,000 people across northern Europe, are the only recognised Indigenous population within the European Union and have established representative parliaments in several countries to advocate for their rights and interests.

Charters’ work explores how those institutions function in practice, particularly in balancing Indigenous authority with state governance systems.

The study comes as conversations around Māori governance, co-governance and constitutional reform continue in Aotearoa, with increasing focus on how Indigenous models overseas might inform local approaches.

Sámi parliaments are seen as important tools for cultural autonomy and political representation, although their powers remain limited within national frameworks.

Charters is examining both the strengths and shortcomings of these systems, aiming to identify practical insights that could support Māori aspirations for greater self-determination.

Her research reflects a broader push among Indigenous scholars to connect global experiences, drawing on shared challenges of colonisation, land rights and political recognition.

The findings are expected to contribute to ongoing discussions about how governance structures in Aotearoa can better reflect Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the rights of Māori as tangata whenua.