Arapata Tamati Hakiwai is a New Zealand museum curator of MÃÂori collections. He is a principal investigator with NgÃÂ Pae o te MÃÂramatanga, a MÃÂori research centre at University of Auckland.
He is the current Kaihautà «, or MÃÂori leader, of Te Papa, and was the museum's acting chief executive before the appointment of Rick Ellis.
In 2014 Hakiwai completed a PhD at Victoria University of Wellington with a thesis on the politics of MÃÂori tribal identity.
Hakiwai was a teacher at Wellington High School before starting work in the museum sector in 1989.
While at Te Papa he has been involved in the repatriation of a number of Maori (human remains) from overseas institutions, and has also led a project involving the "digital repatriation" of (cultural treasures).
Hakiwai is of NgÃÂti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata, NgÃÂti Porou and NgÃÂi Tahu descent.