Nō Ngāti Hine me Waikato-Tainui hoki ahau, ko Māngere tōku kāinga. Ko Tania Cooper (top) tōku ingoa.
Tania joined Youthlaw in August 2026, after many years working across the community and justice sectors. Guided by the values of Manaakitanga (care and kindness), Tika and Pono (doing what is right with integrity), Tania is passionate about prevention and advocacy for Māori and rangatahi.
After working for nearly 10 years with Ara Poutama Aotearoa in both prison and community settings, Tania has seen first-hand how education and knowledge can be empowering. This is something we can all offer; however, we need to ensure our people have access to it. Whakawhanaungatanga (relationships) allows us to manaaki (respect and support) one another in the most uplifting way. Throughout her 16 years of employment and personal experiences, Tania has always been driven by the intention of helping people, and along that journey she has learned a great deal from those she has encountered.
While Tania is on her own journey of cultural reclamation, she has joined Youthlaw as a Kaihāpai Pouako Rangatahi to strengthen relationships between Youthlaw, mana whenua, iwi and hapū, support the revitalisation of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, and enhance community engagement.
For Tania, mahi does not seem to stop when she walks out the door. She wears many hats for her whānau and tamariki, from being a volunteer rugby coach to being active within her marae and the one who pulls everyone and everything together. When she can, however, you can find her at the gym, going for a hīkoi or, in summer, at the beach.
“He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people”
He uri tēnei no Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei me Ngāti Maniapoto hoki.Ko Eden Purutia Irvine tōku ingoa.Before joining YouthLaw in June 2026, Eden worked across community law, iwi legal services, legal research, and tertiary education. Her experience includes supporting whānau through Māori land matters at the Ngāi Tahu Māori Law Centre, working with the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei in-house legal team, and supporting tauira Māori as a Pou Āwhina within the University of Otago Faculty of Law.
Raised in South Auckland, Eden is passionate about improving access to justice for rangatahi and believes the law should be practical, empowering, and grounded in the realities of the communities it serves. She believes the best outcomes start with genuine connection. Eden is leading the youth engagement side of Waha, YouthLaw’s civics education programme.
Outside of mahi, you’ll usually find Eden spending time with whānau, out on the golf course, or planning her next adventure.
“Whakapūpūtia mai ō mānuka kia kore ai e whati. Cluster the branches of the mānuka so they will not break. Together, we are stronger.” Tā Hirini Moko Mead