Pou Temara: key obituary facts
Is Pou Temara dead? Yes. Pou Temara died on November 8, 2026, at age 78.
Cause of death: Pou Temara's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Pou Temara known for?
He was a New Zealand academic.
More about Pou Temara
Born: 1948.
Gender: male.
Occupation: scholar.
Nationality: New Zealand.
Education: Victoria University of Wellington.
Employer: Victoria University of Wellington, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, University of Waikato, Australian National University.
Awards: Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Also known as: William Te Rangiua Temara, Sir Pou Temara, Pou Temara, William Te Rangiua Pou Tēmara.
Sir William Te Rangiua “Pou” Temara, a New Zealand academic at the University of Waikato, died November 8, 2026, aged 78.
A professor of Māori language and tikanga Māori—the practices and customs of Māori communities—at Waikato, he was also recognised for his knowledge of whaikōrero (oratory), whakapapa (genealogy) and karakia (prayers and incantations). His academic career included teaching at Victoria University of Wellington and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, where he later held a professorship in Māori philosophy.
A member of Ngāi Tūhoe, Temara served on the Waitangi Tribunal from 2008 and chaired the Repatriation Advisory Panel at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. His work in Tūhoe community life included membership of the Tūhoe Waikaremoana Māori Trust Board and chairing Te Hui Ahurei a Tūhoe, an event within his iwi. He was also a member of the Tekau-mā-rua, having been appointed by Kīngi Tūheitia. His academic and public roles brought together scholarship in Māori language and knowledge with service to institutions and his iwi.