John Moorfield

John Cornelius Moorfield (18 October 1943 – 19 May 2018), also known as , was a New Zealand academic whose expertise was in the teaching of the Māori language. His work, including the publication of resources for learners of the language, contributed to the language's revitalisation. Since his death the eponymous Te Murumāra Foundation continues his work of Māori language education.

Early life and education Born at Huntly Hospital on 18 October 1943, and raised in Te Kauwhata, Moorfield was the son of Moya Ella Winifred Moorfield (née Walker) and her husband Robert Peter Moorfield. Despite being Pākehā (a New Zealander of European descent), he was educated at St Stephen's School—a Māori boys' boarding school at Bombay, south of Auckland—where his teachers included Hoani Waititi.

After graduating from Auckland, Moorfield went to Auckland Secondary Teachers' College in 1967 to train as a schoolteacher, and began his quest for an effective method of teaching the Māori language. In 1998, he earned a Doctor of Literature degree from the University of Otago, based on his body of work of textbooks and resources for adult learners of the Māori language.

Career After leaving teachers' college, Moorfield taught at Ngaruawahia High School, Wesley College, and Tuakau College, secondary schools in the Waikato and South Auckland. At Waikato, Moorfield was also responsible for the establishment of the first Māori-medium undergraduate degree programme. There he began collaborating with Tania Ka'ai, and in 2007 both Moorfield and Ka'ai moved to Auckland University of Technology to take professorships in Māori innovation and development. Notable doctoral students of Moorfield's include Hana O'Regan.

In 2005, Moorfield published a Māori–English dictionary entitled (meaning "The Vine"), which is available both in print and online.

Moorfield died of cancer on 19 May 2018.

Publications

Published works by Moorfield include: