Māori leaders and heroes
Where can I find information about Māori leaders and heroes?
(Years 7-10)
Image: Anzac Day 2022 by Government House on The Governor-General of New Zealand. Public domain. Image cropped.
Entry last updated: 25/09/26
Introduction
There are many past and present Māori leaders and Māori heroes whose achievements and special qualities make them stand out in both the Māori and Pākehā worlds.
In this entry we will show you how to find biographies of Māori heroes and leaders, as well as information about how they made their mark on their communities.
Well-known Māori leaders and heroes
Here is a list of some well-known Māori heroes and leaders but there are many more. You will find information about these and other Māori on the websites we have chosen for this entry.
Pōtatau Te Wherowhero (?? - 1860): First Māori King.
Willie Apiata (1972 - ): Soldier. Victoria Cross recipient.
Sir Peter Buck (1877 - 1951): Health reformer, politician.
Dame Lisa Carrington (1989 - ): Olympic athlete.
Dame Whina Cooper (1895 - 1994): Community leader.
Hōne Heke (? - 1850 ): War leader.
Te Puea Herangi (1883 - 1952): Kiingitanga leader.
Rua Kenana (1868/69? - 1937): Māori prophet.
Robert Mahuta (1939 - 2001): Politician.
Sir Howard Morrison (1935 - 2009): Entertainer.
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (1944 - ): Opera singer.
Sir Apirana Ngata (1874 - 1950): Politician.
Sir Māui Pōmare (1876 - 1930): Health reformer, politician.
Dalvanius Prime (1948 - 2002): Entertainer.
Tahupotiki Wiremu Rātana (1873–1939): Religious leader.
Apirana Taylor (1955 - ): Author.
Te Rauparaha (? - 1849): War leader.
Inia Te Wiata (1915 - 1971): Opera singer.
Hone Tuwhare (1922 - 2008): Poet.
Storm Uru (1985 - ): Rower, Olympic bronze medallist.
Jade Uru (1987 - ): Rower, Olympian.
New Zealand websites
Here are some good places to start when looking for information about Māori heroes and leaders.
Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Te Ara is an excellent starting point for all questions about Aotearoa New Zealand. The website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.
Enter the name of a Māori hero into the search bar eg 'Āpirana Ngata'.
The results will show all the stories where the name is mentioned eg Ngata, Apirana Turupa.
Tips: Te Ara links sometimes take you to the Short Story. Remember to select Full Story for more in-depth information. You can also look at the All images and media link for pictures and photos related to your story.
Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (DNZB)
DNZB is part of Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. It contains over 3,000 biographies of famous New Zealanders, but does not include people who are alive. This site also includes around 500 biographies that are in te reo.
On the Biographies page, you can find information in a few different ways.
Browse the names listed in the A-Z.
Search for a particular name like Hōne Heke or Whina Cooper.
NZ History is a great website for information about Aotearoa New Zealand. This website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.
Choose Topics, then Politics and government, to find the section on Māori Leadership. This covers the Māori King movement origins and Pai Marire.
Use the links on Pōtatau Te Wherowhero and Te Ua Haumēne to discover more about these famous Māori leaders.
Choose People for an A-Z list of New Zealanders, which includes many Māori.
Or, use the search bar to enter the name of the Māori leader Māui Pōmare.
Tips: We like sites like these because they're reliable. You can tell because of their web address - they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They're also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.
Hōpara kaupapa | Topic Explorer
Topic Explorer is from the National Library of New Zealand. Each topic has carefully chosen resources, including websites, images, videos, books and more.
Select Explore all topics.
Look down the page to Parihaka — Te Whiti-o-Rongomai III and Tohu Kākahi. Read about what Māori leaders did at Parihaka.
The topics on the New Zealand Wars have information on Te Kooti Arikiranga, Riwha Tītokowaru, and Rua Kēnana Hepetipa.
This website has stories of contemporary Māori leaders who have made a difference in health and well-being. Learn about their achievements and the positive impact they have had on their communities.
Use the links under Mō Mātou (About us) to look at the different sections, eg He Rangatira (Leaders).
Then use the drop-down buttons to find leaders by region or area of expertise.
There is also a search box if you'd like to search for a particular person.
Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.
Use this website to search for articles about current Māori heroes and leaders and also obituaries (a brief biography of someone who has died).
Type a Māori hero or leader's name into the search bar.
For example, enter 'Meri Te Tai Mangakāhia'. Find the article
EPIC resources
EPIC is a collection of reliable resources covering lots of different topics. It’s put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.
This database holds the entire archive of the New Zealand Geographic magazine, including heaps of articles about Aotearoa New Zealand's places and people.
Search for Te Kooti to read about his new religion in the article Ark of salvation.
Or search for a different name or a more general topic like 'Māori king movement'.
Tips: To use the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians. Your public library may have some EPIC databases too.
New Zealand History Collection (BWB)
Read e-books about New Zealand history and biographies from Bridget Williams Books.
Browse the books for titles such as Tuai: A Traveller in Two Worlds and I Shall Not Die: Titokowaru’s War, 1868-1869
Or search for a topic or name.
Books
Your school library and local public library will have books about Māori heroes and leaders. Here are some suggested titles:
Maui Pomare: people in New Zealand History by Kevin Boon
100 Māori sports heroes by Joseph Romanos
Alan Duff's Māori heroes by Alan Duff
Willie Apiata, VC: the reluctant hero by Paul Little
Go girl: a storybook of epic NZ women by Barbara Else.
Tips: Websites sometimes ask you to prove you're a real person. They show a message like 'I’m not a robot' or 'Verify yor are human'. This is to stop bots (computer programs) from collecting information, sending spam, making fake accounts, or causing problems for the website. It is safe to tick the box to use the website.
SCIS no: 1832677
Topics covered
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