Respected academic Tā Hirini Moko Mead has died, aged 99.
Mead, considered one of the leading thinkers in te ao Māori over the past century was born in Wairoa in 1927, trained as a teacher, and eventually became the founding Professor of Māori at Victoria University of Wellington, and established the first Department of Māori Studies at the institution in 1978.
This was after academic appointments overseas. Mead was Associate Professor (Visiting) at McMaster University in 1971, Canadian Commonwealth Fellow at the University of British Columbia from 1972 to 73, and Associate Professor at McMaster University from 1973 to 76, according to the University biography.
Mead is the author of over seventy books, papers and articles. His latest work was Mātauranga Māori, released in 2025 at the age of 98.
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