Significant thought and care go into the Māori names given to various places and aspects of University life.

“The more we can introduce te reo Māori into our everyday activities in the University, the better for the revitalisation of the reo,” says Associate Professor Meegan Hall (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and Ngāti Apakura), Assistant Vice-Chancellor Mātauranga Māori, who often collaborates with Deputy Vice-Chancellor—Māori and Engagement Professor Rawinia Higgins (Tūhoe), to name the University’s various tools, schools, roles, and more.

Te Herenga Waka, the name of the University—originally only the name of the marae—means the gathering place of canoes. Waka—a canoe, herenga—a connection or tie.

“As a Māori concept, as a metaphor, it's about recognising that we come together in this place, and in this moment we are connected,” Dr Hall says.

“People often assume that we think of the university as being the waka. But actually, the way we understand it is that our students, staff, and community members come here on their various waka. The people are the waka. And we tie ourselves together as we connect in this place.”

Te Tumu Herenga Waka is the name of the University’s whare whakairo, the carved meeting house, which has been closed for the last few years while the new Living Pā building has been under construction. The word tumu means 'hitching post’.

“We say you might arrive on your waka and tie yourself here, but the actual place that you’re tying yourself to is that whare—that meeting house.”

In the coming weeks we will provide more background on te reo names at the University.