Toi Maruata
Mau Rākau
Tirohanga whānui
Your journey starts with one stance
Explore the ancestral practices, values, and discipline of Mau Rākau.
Through learning stances, strikes, and movements, you’ll come to understand the principles of honour, discipline, and respect that underpin the art.
You’ll gain a deeper appreciation for Māori identity and tradition through hands-on practice and guided reflection.
He aha tāu ka whiwhi?
Skills you'll leave with
Completing this programme means you’ll be able to:
Apply creative processes in Mau Rākau
Manage your time and projects effectively
Practise self-reflection through journaling
Carry out Rangahau and research
Explain whakapapa connections
Engage with the history, tikanga and cultural practices of ngā toi
Mā te mahi ka ako
Learn by doing
You will get to:
Practice stances, strikes, footwork and body movement
Take part in sports, games and training exercises
Learn and use karakia, whakapapa and pepeha connected to mau rākau
Journal to reflect on your learning
Research to support your mau rākau studies
Ngā ara e wātea ana
Where will this take me?
On completion, you'll have the skills to:
Keep studying
Progress into Kāwai Raupapa: Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art (Level 4) Mau Rākau
Use at work
Graduates can contribute to creative, cultural, or community projects, assisting artists, tutors, or cultural practitioners.
Community involvement
Share your creative knowledge in whānau, hapū, iwi, or community settings, supporting kaupapa Māori and creative expression.
He meka
Quick facts
- Level 3 (Introductory)
- 60 Credits
- 20 Weeks
- NZ Certificate in Ngā Toi Level 3
- No Fees
- NZQA Accredited
- Marae Experience
Paearu whakauru
Entry criteria
You can enrol if you:
Are 16 years or older
Are a NZ citizen or resident (includes Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau) or Australian citizen/permanent resident
Currently reside in New Zealand
Te wā
Time commitment
This programme is:
Full-time
60 credits
20 weeks long (includes holiday breaks)
Noho-based with tutorials
Kōnae Ako
Learning Modules
Ki hea, mō āhea hoki au ako ai?
Where and when can I learn?
No classes are currently open for application.
Kaupapa anamata
Upcoming events
Pitopito kōrero o te wā
Latest news
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa launches new reo Māori programmes to help te reo thrive for generations to come
For over four decades, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa has created pathways for generations of tauira to learn, speak, teach and live te reo Māori. That legacy has supported the return of te reo Māori to everyday life, from whānau learning their first kupu, to tauira carrying reo onto marae, and into workplaces, classrooms and homes.
Turning a passion for rongoā into community healing
Rongoā Māori has always been part of Patricia Tangira-Falwasser's life, but it was her studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that deepened her knowledge and inspired her to start a business that now serves her wider community.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaimahi claims gold at Waka Ama World Championship
Ken Henry (Te Whakatōhea, Waikato-Tainui) is a Tauira Support Advisor at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Whakatāne campus who took home gold at the Waka Ama World Championships in Singapore in August.
A passion for taonga Māori takes Chanel to Oxford
What started as a desire to strengthen her reo Māori has taken Chanel Coromandel (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Whanaunga) on an unexpected path, leading to an opportunity to contribute to the care and preservation of taonga Māori at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England.
Reconnecting to te ao Māori through raranga
Haylee Roussel (Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne, Ngāti Maniapoto) was searching for a way to reconnect with te ao Māori when she enrolled in the Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art, Raranga, at the Waiwhero campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
A journey shaped by whānau and a love of tamariki
Members of Tayla-Marie Takawe’s (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto) whānau were among the first tauira to graduate from the Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Finding a deeper sense of self through te ao Māori
Moving to Aotearoa from rural Australia as a teenager, Lily Warring found herself wanting to learn more about the culture and language of the place she now called home.
Creating the spark for business success
With plenty of experience as an electrician, Josh Verstraten was ready to branch out from employee to business owner, but he knew running a successful business would require a new set of skills.
From financial stress to financial freedom for Auckland whānau
For Augustine Kopa, studying the Certificate in Money Management at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa was about creating a better future for her whānau.
Two generations, one reo Māori journey
When Melody Francis (Ngāti Kahungunu) saw the positive impact that studying te reo Māori had on her mum, she decided to jump on the waka and begin the journey alongside her.
