Te Tumu - School of Māori, Pacific & Indigenous Studies

Te Tumu - School of Māori, Pacific & Indigenous Studies E ngā waka maha o te motu, o te Moana Nui, o te Ao, nei rā a Te Tumu hei herenga waka mō koutou k

Te Tumu is rapidly gaining an international reputation as one of the best places in New Zealand to learn about Māori, Pacific and Indigenous languages, cultures and societies. Our multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary staff, students, teaching and research is reflected in our name Te Tumu, a pan-Polynesian term which is often used in Māori in the phrase te tumu herenga waka – the post for tying up

canoes. We liken ourselves as a foundation which staff, students and guests can anchor themselves to for the duration of their stay at the University of Otago. We hope that you, like many others who have also done, choose Te Tumu as a place to become critically aware of the world around you and gain the skills to actively participate in that world to change it for the betterment of all Māori, Pacific and Indigenous peoples.

06/09/2026

Papua New Guinea Pidgin Language Week is here! ✨

Join the Papua Niugini Tok Pisin Wik celebrations from 6 September until 12 September, with event info, language guides, posters and more at our website: https://bit.ly/4p2s5GH

This year's theme is:
→ Lukautim, strongim na kirapim tokples na pasin blo tubuna
→ Preserve, revitalise and promote our language and culture 🌺

20/08/2026

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

20/08/2026

Kia ora e te whānau
Te Heika Pounamu is on today and we're celebrating all you amazing tauira and your journey with us at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka! We have a live stream taking place for the entirety of this event for anyone that can't make it in person. Please do feel free to share with your whānau. Just click the link to take you through to the web page to watch this ceremony from 2.00pm.
Ka pai and congratulations to all graduates!
Click this linkto the streaming channel which will be used for the ceremony
https://www.otago.ac.nz/digital-services/services/teaching-and-research-services/streaming/video-streaming-channel-5
photo rights reserved by University of Otago Photographer

16/08/2026

Welcome to Tonga Language Week 🇹🇴 🌟

This week we're celebrating the language, culture and communities of the Kingdom of Tonga. Our website has everything you need to get involved: posters, graphics, language info, events and lots more: https://bit.ly/45j6y4U

This year, the theme is all about celebrating music as a vital strand of Tongan culture: Ko 'etau hiva, ko e fe'unu mahu'inga ia ki he mo'ui 'a e Tonga 🌺 Keep an eye out for more from some top Tongan musos.

Mālō ‘aupito to TOA Pacific for supporting this photoshoot

Nau mai Dr Therese Lautua! This week we welcomed our new colleague, Dr Therese Lautua and her whānau into our whare. We ...
14/08/2026

Nau mai Dr Therese Lautua! This week we welcomed our new colleague, Dr Therese Lautua and her whānau into our whare. We are very honoured and excited to work alongside Dr Lautua. Read more about Dr Lautua's mahi in our latest Te Tumu research blog.
https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/tetumuresearch/

Koia kei a koe Maioha!
09/08/2026

Koia kei a koe Maioha!

His motivation is the next generation 🌟 🤝

Ka pai te mahi to Otago kaimahi Maioha Watson, recipient of a 2025 20Twenties Young Alumni Award.

Maioha works in the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori, supporting the delivery of mihi whakatau and whakawātea on campus. He also wrote the new karakia for Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka and serves as a kaikōrero representative for Otago during off-campus visits ✨

“What motivates me is seeing the next generation doing amazing things, and a strong sense of responsibility to my people as a young Māori. Much of that comes from my own upbringing and experiences, especially having come through kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa and wharekura. Those environments shaped who I am, and I see my work as a way of giving back to those foundations,” Maioha says.

Read the full korero with Maioha here ⬇️
https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/supporting-maori-aspirations-a-key-focus

06/08/2026

Professor Dr Patrick Vaka’oti is one of our mentors at this year’s Pasifika Philosophies Course. His mentoring session titled “Grounding Philosophies in the Vanua” centers the Vanua (Fanua, Fonua, or Whenua) as an all-encompassing concept and reality inclusive of land, water, ocean, and people. His session will explore the merits of Vanua based philosophies and its contributions to making sense of and contributing to the challenges of this contemporary world.

At the end of his session, toloas should be able to:
1. Locate themselves in their own worldviews and itulagi;
2. Demonstrate understanding of Vanua-based philosophy and relationality; and
3. Critically consider how lessons of and from the 'whole of life' Vanua consciousness are applicable in everyday life including policy making.

Tirohia tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira! Check out this upcoming event featuring our former Dean, Ahorangi Poia Rewi. Koia k...
04/08/2026

Tirohia tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira! Check out this upcoming event featuring our former Dean, Ahorangi Poia Rewi. Koia kei a koe e te rangatira!

02/08/2026

Welcome to Cook Islands Māori Language Week ✨

Join the ‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani celebrations, from Sunday 2 August until Saturday 8 August. There are event listings, downloadable resources, language guides, posters and more on our website: https://bit.ly/45cusxG 🌺

Address

85 Albany Street
Dunedin
9013

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

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