Te Herenga Waka

The University is adopting a new Māori name of Te Herenga Waka, which will replace the current name of Te Whare Wānanga o te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui.

In addition to this change, the University will also adopt a new crest and shield. These include a traditional Māori niho taniwha pattern found in panels at the University’s Te Herenga Waka marae, and the University’s establishment date of 1897, to highlight our long legacy.

• Learn more about the symbolism behind the new crest and shied

The story behind the University’s current Māori name is interesting. Te Whare Wānanga o te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui arose from a series of discussions between the University Registrar, two former Māori Language Commissioners, both of whom suggested different variants of the name, and the University’s Treaty of Waitangi Consultative Committee. It was then presented to the University’s Council and approved in December 1994.

Use of the name Te Herenga Waka in relation to the University’s marae predates this 1994 decision, and was settled upon by staff and students of the University, including the late Dr Wiremu Parker and Ruka Broughton, who were Māori Studies academics from the 1960s until the 1980s.

The name was drawn from a waiata from the Taranaki region, which has a strong connection to Taranaki Whānui who make up the present-day mana whenua of Wellington. Translated as ‘the mooring place of canoes’, the name metaphorically encapsulates the University’s function and presence and is inclusive of all who ‘anchor’ here, regardless of their origins.