Pou Temara
Sir William Te Rangiua "Pou" Temara is a New Zealand academic. He was professor of Māori language and tikanga Māori at Waikato University and a cultural authority on whaikōrero, whakapapa and karakia. Prior to working at Waikato, he taught at Victoria University of Wellington, where he also studied, and at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. He is currently Professor of Māori Philosophy at Awanuiārangi.Early life
Temara was born in 1948. He was raised by his grandparents in a Māori language environment in the Ureweras until he was eight years old, when he was sent to an English-language boarding school in Auckland. He is the nephew of Māori language activist Jean Puketapu. His uncle Makarini Temara was on the first Waitangi Tribunal in 1975. Temara is the son of George Temara, a WWII veteran of the Māori Battalion.Professional life
Temara has been a member of the Waitangi Tribunal since 2008 and is currently chair of the Repatriation Advisory Panel at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. He is a member of the Tūhoe Waikaremoana Māori Trust Board and chair of Te Hui Ahurei a Tūhoe within his iwi, Ngāi Tūhoe. He is a member of the Tekau-mā-rua, having first been appointed by Kīngi Tūheitia.Television
He was the presenter of Korero Mai, Television New Zealand's first Māori language series.Honours
In the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours, Temara was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to Māori and education. In the 2021 New Year Honours, he was promoted to Knight Companion. He is a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand.