Rate My Professor Maioha Watson

Maioha Watson, of Waikato Tainui, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Manawa, Te Āti Awa, and Te Arawa descent, serves as Kaiwhakahaere Kaupapa in the Office of Māori Development at the University of Otago. Raised in Hamilton and immersed in te ao Māori from an early age, he attended Te Kōhanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori, and Wharekura. Watson graduated from Te Tumu, the School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies, with a Bachelor of Arts in Māori Studies and a Bachelor of Health Sciences in Māori Health in 2022. He completed a BA (Hons) in Māori Studies in 2024 and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Māori Studies, with graduation anticipated at the end of 2026. As a teaching fellow at Te Tumu, he taught the third-year Māori performing arts course MAOR308. In his professional role, Watson leads and supports the delivery of mihi whakatau and whakawātea ceremonies on campus, serves as the University's kaikōrero representative during off-campus visits, and champions the use of te reo Māori across the institution. He participated in a six-week indigenous programme delegation to Taiwan in 2025, funded by the Prime Minister’s Scholarship, where he shared knowledge on mahinga kai, traditional arts, waiata, and performed haka, while researching te reo Māori's contributions to well-being outcomes.

Watson's academic interests encompass te reo, tikanga, mātauranga Māori, and their integration into pedagogy and well-being. His honours project, Tōku Ao Haka – Ngā Matatini o te Apōpō (2024), examines haka and future directions in Māori performing arts. He co-authored 'Tūrou Hawaiki: Morning karakia and waiata as culturally responsive pedagogy,' published in the Australian Journal of Indigenous Education in 2023. Watson has held executive positions including Recreation and Welfare Officer for Te Rōpū Māori, judge for Te Mana Ākonga Te Huinga Tauira, and Aspiring Leaders Forum Delegate for Ngāti Mutunga in 2025. He composed tracks for the Te Rōpū Māori 30th Anniversary EP/Album and holds the Toi Reo Māori Translating License. Among his honors is the University of Otago Young Alumni Award received in 2026, recognizing his contributions to Māori student life and cultural leadership at the institution.