Whina Cooper
Encyclopedia
Dame Whina Cooper ONZ
DBE
(9 December 1895 – 26 March 1994), was born Hohewhina Te Wake, daughter of Heremia Te Wake of the Te Rarawa iwi
, at Te Karaka, Hokianga
,
From an early age she showed an interest in her father’s role, as well as in history and genealogy. She worked as a teacher for a brief time, but stirred on by a local land dispute, developed a taste for a form of home-spun politics, including passive resistance. She played a leading role in community activities, impressing politician Sir Apirana Ngata
who invited her to a national hui
in 1932. She worked alongside him to promote Māori land development programmes in the Hokianga.
Cooper moved to Auckland
in 1949 when her second husband died, and her political activity changed from local to national. In September 1951 she was elected first president of the new Māori Women's Welfare League
. The league's success was largely due to her efforts, and she became well-known throughout the country. In 1957 she stepped down as president and the annual conference rewarded her with the title Te Whaea o te Motu ("Mother of the Nation").
During the 1960s Whina Cooper worked on a local level around Auckland, but, with declining health, she kept largely out of the national spotlight. This changed in 1975 when a coalition of Māori groups asked her to lead them in a protest against the loss of Māori land. She agreed, proposing a hikoi
- a symbolic march from the northern tip of the North Island to Parliament in Wellington
at the other end of the island. During September and October 1975, the nearly 80-year-old Whina Cooper again became nationally recognised, walking at the head of the Māori land march from Te Hapua to Wellington. She was made a Dame Commander in the Order of the British Empire
in 1981 and a member of the Order of New Zealand
in 1991.
in the Hokianga in 1983 and died there, aged 98, in 1994.
Order of New Zealand
The Order of New Zealand is the highest honour in New Zealand's honours system, created "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity"...
DBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(9 December 1895 – 26 March 1994), was born Hohewhina Te Wake, daughter of Heremia Te Wake of the Te Rarawa iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
, at Te Karaka, Hokianga
Hokianga
Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as The Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand....
,
From an early age she showed an interest in her father’s role, as well as in history and genealogy. She worked as a teacher for a brief time, but stirred on by a local land dispute, developed a taste for a form of home-spun politics, including passive resistance. She played a leading role in community activities, impressing politician Sir Apirana Ngata
Apirana Ngata
Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata was a prominent New Zealand politician and lawyer. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have ever served in Parliament, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language.-Early life:One of 15 children, Ngata...
who invited her to a national hui
Hui (Maori assembly)
A hui is a New Zealand term for a social gathering or assembly.Originally a Māori language word, it was used by Europeans as early as 1846 when referring to Māori gatherings - but is now increasingly used in New Zealand English to describe events that are not exclusively Māori....
in 1932. She worked alongside him to promote Māori land development programmes in the Hokianga.
Cooper moved to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
in 1949 when her second husband died, and her political activity changed from local to national. In September 1951 she was elected first president of the new Māori Women's Welfare League
Māori Women's Welfare League
The Māori Women’s Welfare League or Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toko I te Ora is a New Zealand welfare organisation focusing on Māori women and children...
. The league's success was largely due to her efforts, and she became well-known throughout the country. In 1957 she stepped down as president and the annual conference rewarded her with the title Te Whaea o te Motu ("Mother of the Nation").
During the 1960s Whina Cooper worked on a local level around Auckland, but, with declining health, she kept largely out of the national spotlight. This changed in 1975 when a coalition of Māori groups asked her to lead them in a protest against the loss of Māori land. She agreed, proposing a hikoi
Hikoi
Hikoi is a term of the Maori language of New Zealand generally meaning a protest march or parade, usually implying a long journey taking days or weeks....
- a symbolic march from the northern tip of the North Island to Parliament in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
at the other end of the island. During September and October 1975, the nearly 80-year-old Whina Cooper again became nationally recognised, walking at the head of the Māori land march from Te Hapua to Wellington. She was made a Dame Commander in the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1981 and a member of the Order of New Zealand
Order of New Zealand
The Order of New Zealand is the highest honour in New Zealand's honours system, created "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity"...
in 1991.
Death
Whina Cooper returned to PanguruPanguru
Panguru is a community in the northern Hokianga harbour, in Northland, New Zealand. The Whakarapa Stream flows from the Panguru Range in the Warawara Forest to the west, through Panguru and into the Hokianga...
in the Hokianga in 1983 and died there, aged 98, in 1994.
Sources
- King, Michael (2003). Cooper, Whina 1895 - 1994 (biography of Dame Whina Cooper)
External links
from the Dictionary of New Zealand BiographyDictionary of New Zealand Biography
The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography contains biographies for over 3,000 New Zealanders. It is available in both English and Maori. All volumes of the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography are available online....
- Te Matakite O Aotearoa - The Maori Land March - Full-length documentary about the 1975 march, featuring interviews with Whina Cooper on NZ On ScreenNZ On ScreenNZ On Screen is an online showcase of archival New Zealand television and film. The website is fully funded by NZ On Air and provides free worldwide access to NZ-produced television, film and music videos. Content is streamed and the webpages provide authoritative background information.The site...