Pania Newton

Lawyer and activist who helped lead the campaign and battle to protect ancestral land at Ihumātao.

Pania Newton is a lawyer and activist for Māori land rights in Aotearoa. 

After achieving her lifelong dream of finishing her law degree at the University of Auckland, Pania put her law career on hold to lead the campaign Save Our Unique Landscape, also known as SOUL, alongside her five cousins. The main purpose of this campaign is to protest the development of land at Ihumātao in south Auckland, in order to protect the environment for future generations. 

Pania is dedicated to her advocacy, working as a frontliner for the protection of her whenua and acting as the main spokesperson for SOUL. She is also a TEDx speaker and a board member and trustee of Toi Tangata, Kī o Rahi Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngā Kaitiaki o Ihumātao, and Puketapapa Ascendants.