Ngāi Tūhoe
Professor Sir Pou Temara is a professor of Māori Philosophy at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. He is a recognised authority on Māori customary practice and whaikōrero, having taught at Waikato University as a Professor of Reo and Tikanga and Victoria University as a senior lecturer and later as Tohunga. He was a director of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo, the Institute of Excellence in the Māori Language, where he taught and researched whaikōrero, karanga, and tikanga. As a member of the Tūhoe Waikaremoana Māori Trust Board, Professor Temara made several submissions during the Tribunal’s Te Urewera hearings. He has experience in dispute resolution, mediating between the iwi of Taranaki during their claims to the Tribunal. He is widely credited with playing a crucial role to the survival of Te Reo Māori, and is regarded as a leader, mentor, and inspiration to people across Aotearoa.