Sir William Te Rangiua "Pou" Temara (born 1948) is a New Zealand academic. He was professor of MÃÂori language and tikanga MÃÂori (practices) at Waikato University and a cultural authority on (oratory), whakapapa (genealogy) and karakia (prayers and incantations). Prior to working at Waikato, he taught at Victoria University of Wellington, where he also studied, and at Te Whare WÃÂnanga o AwanuiÃÂrangi. He is currently Professor of MÃÂori Philosophy at AwanuiÃÂrangi.
Temara was born in 1948. He was raised by his grandparents in a MÃÂori language environment in the Ureweras until he was eight years old, when he was sent to an English-language boarding school in Auckland. He is the nephew of MÃÂori language activist Jean Puketapu. His uncle Makarini Temara was on the first Waitangi Tribunal in 1975. Temara is the son of George Temara, a WWII veteran of the MÃÂori Battalion.
Temara has been a member of the Waitangi Tribunal since 2008 and is currently chair of the Repatriation Advisory Panel at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. He is a member of the Tà «hoe Waikaremoana MÃÂori Trust Board and chair of Te Hui Ahurei a Tà «hoe within his iwi (tribe), NgÃÂi Tà «hoe. He is a member of the Tekau-mÃÂ-rua, having first been appointed by Këngi Tà «heitia.
He was the presenter of Korero Mai, Television New Zealand's first MÃÂori language series.
In the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours, Temara was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to MÃÂori and education. In the 2021 New Year Honours, he was promoted to Knight Companion. He is a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand.