Māori Culture in Dunedin
The name Ōtepoti, Kāi Tahu and the rūnaka, taoka at Tūhura, Pukekura, the coastal pā and the Treaty at Ōtākou.
Ōtepoti is the Māori name for the upper Otago Harbour, where Dunedin grew, and the city is in the takiwā of Kāi Tahu, as Ngāi Tahu is known in the local dialect. Here’s where to experience Māori culture in Dunedin: taoka at Tūhura, Pukekura, the pā sites of the coast, Waitangi Day and Puaka Matariki, the rūnaka and te reo.
Ōtepoti
Ōtepoti is the Māori name for the upper Dunedin harbour, where Kāti Māmoe and Kāi Tahu landed their waka at places such as the Toitū tauraka waka.
Ōtākou
The Ngāi Tahu village at the mouth of the harbour that gave the province of Otago its name.
Kāi Tahu
The southern form of Ngāi Tahu, often used in Dunedin: k takes the place of ng.
Pukekura
The Māori name for the headland European settlers called Taiaroa Head.
Tauraka waka
A landing place for waka, like the one beneath Exchange Square.
Ways to experience Māori culture in Dunedin
See the taoka in Tūhura’s Tangata Whenua gallery, take a tour at Pukekura, or walk to the coastal pā at Huriawa and Mapoutahi. Check with each place for dates and prices.
Museum and headland
Tūhura Otago Museum: Tangata Whenua
The Tangata Whenua gallery holds taoka of Kāi Tahu and other iwi, and was designed with the help and guidance of Kāi Tahu representatives. A 17-metre waka, its hull made around 1840 from two tōtara, takes centre stage, and some taoka pounamu are heirlooms on loan from Kāi Tahu whānau. Gallery entry is free for New Zealand residents; international visitors aged 18 and over buy a Gallery Pass ($20 for adults, children free).
Tangata WhenuaPukekura (Taiaroa Head)
Pukekura is an important site for Māori, and its reserves are managed by Te Poari a Pukekura, a joint body of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou members, the Korako Karetai Trust, Dunedin City Council and DOC. Visitors can’t wander inside the reserve: the centre’s Unique Taiaroa tour, 90 minutes from NZ$82.07, includes the human history of Pukekura. Booking is recommended.
ToursKaritāne Māori Tours
Owned and operated by Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki. Kāi Tahu guides walk visitors around the pā and tell the stories of Te Wera and the Huriawa siege, and there is a 2-hour waka journey on the Waikouaiti River, or a 4-hour package with both.
Tohu WhenuaAt your own pace
Huriawa Pā
Huriawa Peninsula is private land owned by Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki. It is the site of the pā of Te Wera and the legendary siege, and plaques along the track tell its history. Out of respect for the local people, don’t dig or remove plants. Heavy rain has damaged parts of the track, so follow the signs and stay on the formed gravel track.
Read our guideMapoutahi Pā
An 18th-century Māori pā site on a headland in Pūrākaunui Bay, reached across the beach and up steps. Check the tide before you go, and treat the site with respect.
Read our guideToitū Tauraka Waka
A Kāti Māmoe-Kāi Tahu landing place in the Otago Harbour, beside the Toitū Stream, where tūpuna landed and traded. The colonial city reclaimed the foreshore over it; Heritage New Zealand lists it as a wāhi tūpuna. Nothing of the landing place can be seen today; it lies beneath the plaza.
Heritage NZMāori events through the year
Waitangi Day
Ngāi Tahu’s Waitangi Day commemoration rotates between the three places where Ngāi Tahu signed the Treaty: Ōtākou, Ōnuku and Te Rau Aroha at Awarua. For 2026, Ōtākou planned to lead a Kāi Tahu ope to Waitangi instead of hosting it in the takiwā.
Puaka Matariki Festival
Dunedin’s festival of the Māori new year, first held in 2009, celebrating the rise of Puaka and Matariki with events from marae to museums. In 2026 it ran from 4 to 25 July.
Matariki public holiday
Matariki falls on Friday 25 June in 2027.
Marae in and around Dunedin
Marae are the gathering places of hapū and iwi. They are not visitor attractions: you visit a marae when you’re invited, or by arrangement with the marae, often with a group, a school or an event. Each marae has its own kawa (protocol), so ask your hosts what they expect.
Ōtākou
The marae of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, with the wharenui Tamatea, and one of three places where Ngāi Tahu tūpuna signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
Read our guideHuirapa (Puketeraki)
The marae of Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, with the wharenui Huirapa.
Read our guideĀraiteuru
Dunedin’s pan-iwi urban marae, opened in 1980 and one of the first urban marae in the country.
ODTHow a welcome usually goes
- GatherThe visitors assemble together, and the hosts begin the welcome.
- KarangaA woman from the hosts calls you on, and a caller from your group answers. Walk on together as the calling continues.
- Whaikōrero and waiataSpeeches from hosts and visitors, each followed by a song.
- KohaA gift, usually money in an envelope, laid down by your last speaker.
- Hongi and harirūShake hands and press noses with the hosts.
- HākariA shared meal ends the welcome and lifts the tapu of the pōwhiri.
Kāi Tahu in Ōtepoti
Ngāi Tahu is the South Island’s largest iwi and the main iwi of Ōtepoti Dunedin. Kāi Tahu followed other iwi, Waitaha and Kāti Māmoe, to Te Waipounamu, and became the largest South Island iwi through political allegiances, warfare and intermarriage. The city council works with two papatipu rūnaka: Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki.
Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou
In their own words, they have “a proud history and a promising future”, with nearly 8,000 members able to register with the rūnaka. The rūnaka also takes bookings for hui at the marae.
Their siteKāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki
The rūnaka of the Puketeraki marae at Karitāne. It owns and cares for the Huriawa Peninsula and runs Karitāne Māori Tours.
Their siteTe Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
In its own words, the tribal council exists “to be the tribal servant”. Its 18 papatipu rūnanga include Ōtākou and Puketeraki.
Their siteMāori history and stories
Ōtākou was one of three places where Ngāi Tahu tūpuna signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. In the colonial city, the loss of the Toitū tauraka waka and of the Princes Street reserve that had been promised to Kāi Tahu became a chapter in the Ngāi Tahu claim lodged in 1986.
Māori History in Dunedin
Ōtepoti, Ōtākou, the pā sites and Kāi Tahu history.
Read the historyToitū Tauraka Waka
The landing place, the Princes Street reserve and the Ngāi Tahu claim.
Read itLearning te reo Māori in Dunedin
Te reo Māori learning for adults. Check each provider for the latest dates.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
Te Kahupapa o te Reo, a Level 1 classroom course with no fees, among its reo Māori programmes.
Find out moreKōhanga reo
Kōhanga reo are Māori-language early learning centres. The Ministry of Education directory lists 3 in Dunedin City. Find one on the Kōhanga Reo National Trust map.
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Whānau Paki (Halfway Bush)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Whakaari (Brockville)
- Te Kōhanga Reo Manaaki Tamariki (Caversham)
Schools that teach in te reo Māori
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rau Toroa
Kura kaupapa Māori, composite school. All students taught in te reo Māori.
Māori community services
Māori Land Court
The nearest Māori Land Court office is the Te Waipounamu office in Christchurch.
Court officesAbout this page
Explore Dunedin is an independent local guide. This page draws on the websites of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Te Kāhui Māngai, Dunedin City Council, Tūhura Otago Museum, Heritage New Zealand, DOC, the Ministry of Education and the providers’ own sites. Spotted something to add or correct? Let us know.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Māori name for Dunedin?
Ōtepoti, the Māori name for the upper Otago Harbour, where the city grew.
Why is Ngāi Tahu called Kāi Tahu in Dunedin?
In the south, the local dialect often uses k in place of ng, so Ngāi Tahu is often written and spoken as Kāi Tahu.
What iwi is Dunedin?
Ngāi Tahu (Kāi Tahu) is the main iwi of Ōtepoti Dunedin. The city council works with Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki.
Where does the name Otago come from?
From the Ngāi Tahu village of Ōtākou at the mouth of the Otago Harbour.
Was the Treaty of Waitangi signed in Dunedin?
Ōtākou, on the Otago Peninsula, was one of three places where Ngāi Tahu tūpuna signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
Where can I see Māori taonga (taoka) in Dunedin?
In the Tangata Whenua gallery at Tūhura Otago Museum, designed with the guidance of Kāi Tahu. Entry is free for New Zealand residents.
When is Puaka Matariki in Dunedin?
The Puaka Matariki Festival runs in winter; in 2026 it ran from 4 to 25 July.
Where can I learn te reo Māori in Dunedin?
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa teaches a Level 1 classroom te reo course with no fees at its Te Puka Whakauka campus on Moray Place.