Professor Hirini Moko Mead, PhD

Ngāti Awa

Professor Sidney (Hirini) Moko Mead was founding Professor of Māori at Victoria University of Wellington and created the first Department of Māori Studies in the country. He was also responsible for building the first university based marae on a mainstream campus - Te Herenga Waka marae at Wellington. When he retired from Victoria University he established a tribal university,Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi at Whakatane, among his people of Ngāti Awa. This is the third Wananga established under the Education Amendment Act of 1989. 

Professor Hirini Moko Mead was chief negotiator for the Ngāti Awa claims, settled in March 2005, and is now assisting with the transitional stages and the implementation of the settlement.

He is a writer of many books and in 2003 published through Huia Publishers a book on Tikanga Māori. He and his wife June live in Wellington and have three daughters and 10 mokopuna.

Hirini Moko Mead was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal in 2003.