Ahorangi Tā William Te Rangiua Pou Temara 1948–2026

Kia whakataukītia i konei, ko te uri o Tūhoe moumou tangata ki te pō!
Taringa whakarongo! Kua tanuku rā te tihi o Manawarū
Te manawa kapakapa o Te Ika-a-Māui
He piere nuku ki te kei o te waka Mataatua
Te toki pounamu o te iwi Māori ka tau hā

Te iwi e! Ko Ahorangi Tā William Te Rangiua Pou Temara tēnei kua whakarangi pūkohu.

Raised by his grandparents in Te Urewera, grounded in the knowledge systems of Ngāi Tūhoe followed by a journey committed to scholarship, Ahorangi Tā William Te Rangiua Pou Temara (Tā Pou) was a tohunga of te reo Māori, tikanga, whakapapa, karakia, mātauranga Māori, philosophy, and the narratives and histories of Tūhoe.

As part of his studies and contributions to te ao Māori at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University, Tā Pou became a source of leadership for Tūhoe ki Pōneke and the sharing of mātauranga Māori in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

During this time, Te Papa Tongarewa was forming, and Tā Pou’s impact on Te Papa began.

Mana Taonga iwi exhibition – Tūhoe: Children of the Mist, moumou kai, moumou taonga, moumou tangata ki te pō

Since opening in 1998, Tā Pou has remained an authority for Te Papa – centring tikanga, mātauranga Māori, and whakapapa relationships in the care and sharing of Ngāi Tūhoe taonga, in the care of Te Papa that whakapapa to Tūhoe, including kākahu woven by his tupuna Makurata, the pūtātara Te Umukohukohu that belonged to Te Whenuanui, and the McDonald photographic collection featuring whakaahua of his tūpuna.

From 2001–2003, Tā Pou was also instrumental in the development and residency of Ngāi Tūhoe at Te Papa as part of the iwi in residence programme through the third iwi exhibition Tūhoe: Children of the Mist – moumou kai, moumou taonga, moumou tangata ki te pō. Bringing Tūhoe taonga, narratives, and philosophies to the world, the residency is the most visible example of mana taonga and Tiriti-led approaches to partnership and museology.

Karanga Aotearoa Repatriation Programme

In 2003, the government agreed to Te Papa establishing the Karanga Aotearoa Repatriation Programme to facilitate the return of Māori and Moriori ancestral remains from overseas and return them to their iwi. At this time, Tā Pou was invited to be part of the Repatriation Advisory Panel (RAP), offering expertise in whakapapa, karakia, tikanga, te reo Māori, kōrero ā-iwi, tā moko practice, and indigenous policy advancement to guide the safe return of tūpuna home.

In 2007, Tā Pou became the Chair of RAP, sharing his knowledge, deep cultural insights, diplomacy, and intelligence to negotiate agreements for the return of tūpuna to work towards healing and restitution of museum and colonial practices. Tā Pou led the programme through landmark negotiations with France and the United States for the return of tūpuna, expertly supported by RAP, particularly his whanaunga Whaea Hokimoana Te Rika-Hekerangi.

During his 17-year period as Chair of RAP, 732 Māori and Moriori ancestral remains were repatriated from international institutions, with the significance of the programme reverberating across the world to shift museum practice.

Tā Pou was extremely generous in sharing his deep knowledge of repatriation kaupapa and mātauranga Māori through an undeniable Tūhoe lens with the aim of offering dignity, respect, manaakitanga, and connecting uri to their tūpuna, keeping their mana intact.

Tikanga excellence – Mānawatia a Matariki

The inaugural Matariki public holiday held in June 2022 was launched with a whāngai i te hautapu ceremony on Te Papa’s marae, Rongomaraeroa, and led by Tā Pou as ruānuku, supported by his whare karakia Te Matapunenga.

The ceremony was a moment of profound cultural, national, and international significance for Aotearoa. It represented an important step in recognising and affirming mātauranga Māori, tikanga Māori, and the enduring relationship between Māori communities, the natural world, practice, and the cycle of the maramataka.

At the centre of this historic occasion was Tā Pou, supported by the drive and commitment of his whānaunga Ahorangi Rangi Mātāmua. In his role of ruānuku, Tā Pou carried this considerable cultural responsibility with his exceptional understanding of karakia, tikanga, whakapapa, te taiao, and the spiritual and cultural dimensions of the ritenga and sharing of this knowledge internationally. This moment will remain in the cultural fabric and history of Aotearoa and indigenous leadership worldwide for generations to come.

Tā Pou shared an address to the nation following the Matariki ritenga alongside then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, where he stated: “This is a moment that future generations will look upon and say this is when we came of age. This is a moment where our cultural knowledge systems have become part of our collective identity. This is a moment where we have pulled tightly on the threads of our nationhood, bringing us all closer together.”

Tā Pou – our whare, taonga, and tūpuna mourn your loss and deeply acknowledge and thank you for your service and for the protection, safety, wisdom, and counsel you provided us through the excellence of your practice of tikanga, reo, whakapapa, and mātauranga Māori.

We thank you for sharing your whānau, Hema and Tamahou, with us. Your impact was deep and wide – for us; the taonga, tūpuna, and relationships we care for; for iwi Māori; for the advancement of te reo, tikanga, and scholarship excellence; for Aotearoa; for indigenous rights across the world. Let the mists of Te Urewera welcome you to join your tūpuna as we continue your work for the generations to come.