Acknowledgement of mana whenua

Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka – the University of Otago – stands on the whenua of Kāi Tahu, the principal iwi of Te Waipounamu, the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand.

We acknowledge the mana whenua of this region, in particular the three rūnaka whose rohe include this area: Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, and Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou.

We honour their enduring relationship with the land, waters, and all that lies within and upon them — including the fossil taoka held in our museum collections. We recognise the rūnaka as kaitiaki, whose mātauraka (knowledge) and stewardship continues to guide our understanding of this place and its geological treasures.