Horiana Irwin-Easthope (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu and Rakaipaaka) spent her early years living in Ōtaki and grew-up living between the Hutt Valley and Te Araroa / Wharekahika (on the East Coast).  Horiana and her whānau have recently moved to Ōtaki Beach where they are enjoying living close to the moana and the focus on te reo Māori in the community.

Horiana has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Māori Resource Management) from Victoria University of Wellington and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School.  Horiana is the Managing Director of Whāia Legal, a kaupapa Māori law firm that works predominantly for Māori clients across different areas of law.  In her legal mahi, Horiana pushes the status quo to affect change within, and outside of, the legal system to recognise the unique place of whānau, hapū and iwi within Aotearoa.  Horiana is committed to social change in Aotearoa through the law and other vehicles.

Horiana has previously sat on the boards of the Te Awe Māori Business Network, Motu (Economic and Public Policy Research) and Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa – the National Māori Law Society.