Te Maire Tau

Dr Te Maire Tau is one of New Zealand's great tribal historians, a leader of his hapu, and a strong voice in the rebuild of Christchurch following the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. He helps to build relationships between indigenous people around the world. Te Maire is the director of the Ngai Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury, and also holds the highly respected position of Upoko (head) of the Ngai Tuahuriri hapu in Canterbury. Having always harboured a passion for history,...See more

Dr Te Maire Tau is one of New Zealand's great tribal historians, a leader of his hapu, and a strong voice in the rebuild of Christchurch following the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. He helps to build relationships between indigenous people around the world. Te Maire is the director of the Ngai Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury, and also holds the highly respected position of Upoko (head) of the Ngai Tuahuriri hapu in Canterbury. Having always harboured a passion for history, Te Maire was a student at Canterbury University when he uncovered manuscripts in the Alexander Turnbull Library that helped him to piece together the story of Ngai Tahu's migration from the North Island's East Coast to the South Island in the 18th century. As a specialist historian on oral traditions, tribal genealogies and indigenous knowledge systems, Te Maire helped iwi leaders with their land claim to the Waitangi Tribunal. He was also an expert witness and historian for the settlement of the Ngai Tahu claim - the largest settlement in its day between Maori and the Crown. Te Maire is the author of a number of publications dealing with oral traditions and the relationship between indigenous knowledge systems and how they intersect with Western science. See less