Rate My Professor Hata Temo

Hata Temo, of Ngāi Tūhoe (Ko Maataatua te Waka, Ko Maungapōhatu te Maunga, Ko Hinemataroa te Awa, Ko Tūhoe te Iwi, Ko Ngāti Tawhaki, Ngāti Rongo me te Maahurehure ngā hapū), has devoted his career to upholding and disseminating te reo Māori, tikanga, and mātauranga Māori. Raised in Rūātoki, he favored hunting in the forests and whānau time over schooling, departing formal education around age 13. In 1959, he relocated to Murihiku for employment at the freezing works. From youth, kaumātua instilled in him the duty to share Māori language and protocols, a commitment deepened by his adherence to the Ringatū faith. He was pivotal in founding kōhanga reo in Murihiku and Ōtepoti. Within the public health sector, as part of the Te Oranga Tonu Tanga team at Wakari Hospital, he addressed the spiritual needs of Māori patients. Ngāi Tahu established a Kaiāwhina Māori role for him at the hospital. Transitioning to the University of Otago, he supported medical students by spiritually cleansing tūpāpaku and upholding tikanga Māori in laboratory environments. Presently, as Kaitohutohu Māori in the Office of Māori Development, known universally as Koro Hata, he guides kaimahi, tauira, and manuhiri to ensure cultural appropriateness and safety. He engages in Science Wānanga across the motu, acquainting prospective students with sciences and te taiao, challenging perceptions that tertiary roles demand formal qualifications.

Hata Temo holds kaumātua positions across multiple entities: Whare Tukutuku, the National Addiction Centre under Te Rau Ora's korowai, Otago Coastal Area Police, New Zealand Principals’ Federation, and Ageing Well National Science Challenge. He directed Whakaruruhau Ltd, a whānau-owned not-for-profit whare emphasizing manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and wairuatanga, offering gratis services like ngāhere-led hikoi for whānau and communities, alongside imparting rongoā Māori expertise and coveted mahinga kai locations. His leadership in Māori health garnered recognition in Te Rau Ora's 100 Māori Leaders list. Through these endeavors, he fosters tikanga observance and cultural safety within educational, health, and community spheres at the University of Otago and beyond.