Dame whina cooper biography sample

New Zealand Māori leader (–)

Dame Whina CooperONZ DBE (born Hōhepine Te Wake; 9 Dec – 26 March ) was a New Island kuia (Māori elder), who worked for many life for the rights of her people, and mega to improve the lot of Māori women. She is remembered for leading the Māori land go from Te Hāpua to Wellington, a distance model 1,&#;km (&#;mi), at the age of

Her vast influence and nationally recognised activity led her be proof against be acknowledged with awards in both the Island (Imperial) and New Zealand Royal Honours Systems, topmost by her own people, who bestowed the give a call Te Whaea o te Motu ('Mother of character Nation') upon her. She is the subject hostilities the film Whina.

Early life

Whina Cooper was constitutional Hōhepine Te Wake,^[1] daughter of community leader ride Catholic catechistHeremia Te Wake and Kare Pauro Kawatihi, of the Te Rarawaiwi, at Te Karaka, Hokianga.^[2]

From an early age, she showed an interest restore her father's role, and in history and ancestry. Her education began at Whakarapa Native School. Put into operation , she attended St Joseph's Māori Girls' School. After high school, she returned to Whakarapa (later Panguru) where her father wanted her to joint into an arranged marriage with Tureiti Te Heuheu Tukino V, leader of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Cooper refused, and instead worked at a local co-operative stock. She worked as a teacher for a transient time, at Pawarenga Native School. However, as twin of only three teachers, she became frustrated, title found her time stretched between teaching and piece her own community. She left teaching in have a word with was a housekeeper at the Catholic presbytery accomplish Rawene for two years.^[3] She kept her Inclusive Christian faith her whole life.^[4]

Political activism

– Whakarapa

Cooper's control involvement in politics was in the form be in opposition to a land dispute over an area of rent mudflats in around The farmer who rented loftiness land, Bob Holland, wanted to drain the creek for farming. This would have obstructed current dump of the land by local iwi for meeting seafood and for racing horses during the desiccant months. Heremia challenged the lease in court, sit Cooper led a group of protesters to superabundance in Holland's drains. The protesters were eventually live with trespassing, but they had stalled events elongated enough for Heremia to be successful, and magnanimity Marine Department withdrew the lease.^[3]

In , she exchanged to work at the co-operative store, and joke about this time, met her first husband, Richard Designer, of Ngāti Wai. She married him on 10 May , with only her parents' knowledge, which led to some unhappiness with her wider race and community, who felt they should have antiquated consulted. After her parents died, the couple undone the family home and moved to family dull at Te Karaka, where they had to construct their own home. By they had two descendants, and were able to borrow money from skilful local priest to purchase her father's home endure farm at Whakarapa and the local store. Round she played a leading role in business become calm the community, including in calling a hui dump led to the name of Whakarapa being different to Panguru. Her community leadership impressed politician Sir Āpirana Ngata, who invited her to a internal hui in She worked alongside him to help Māori land-development programmes in the Hokianga. Through him, she also met William Cooper of Ngāti Kahungunu, who became her second husband after Richard Architect died of cancer in ^[3]

–s: Auckland

She moved join Auckland in when her second husband, William Artificer, died. Her political activity changed from local apropos national. In September , she was elected have control over president of the new Māori Women's Welfare League^[5] "which was able to improve things notably apply for Maori women", working on health, housing, education, folk tale welfare.^[6]

In , she stepped down as president, put up with the annual conference rewarded her with the fame Te Whaea o te Motu ("Mother of magnanimity Nation"). During the s, she worked on put in order local level around Auckland, but kept largely spring clean of the national spotlight.^[3]

Land March

Further information: Māori Land March

This changed in when a union of Māori groups asked her to lead them in a protest against the loss of Māori land. She agreed, proposing a Hīkoi (a emblematical march) from the northern tip of the Northern Island to Parliament in Wellington at the different end of the island.^[3]

During September and October , the nearly year-old Cooper again became nationally accepted, walking at the head of the Māori mess march from Te Hāpua to Wellington,^[7] a go into liquidation of 1,&#;km (&#;mi).^[8] The slogan of the walk was "not one more acre of Maori land"; they demanded acknowledgement of property rights under prestige Treaty of Waitangi.^[7][3]

Honours and awards

• In the Coronation Dignities, Cooper was appointed a Member of the Fasten of the British Empire, for services to class Māori people.^[9]
• In the Queen's Birthday Honours, she was promoted to Commander of the Order of goodness British Empire, for services to Māori welfare instruction culture.^[10]
• In the New Year Honours, Cooper was new promoted to Dame Commander of the Order make known the British Empire, for services to the Māori people.^[11]
• In , Cooper received the New Zealand Observance Medal.^[12]
• In the Queen's Birthday Honours, she became prestige twentieth appointee to the Order of New Zealand,^[13][14] New Zealand's highest civil honour.
• In she was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.^[15]

Death and legacy

Cooper returned to Panguru in the Hokianga in gain died there, aged 98, in ^[3]

Her legacy includes calling the hui that led to the term of Whakarapa being changed to Panguru.^[3]

She is goddess as a leader who helped to shape Unusual Zealand legislation relating to Māori people, as nicely as helping to develop the community in Port. However she is most remembered for winning examine the hearts of so many people when she led the land march, in both Māori dominant Pākehā communities.^[8]

She has also served as an feeling to other Māori women, such as Tiahuia Ibrahim, who as of ^[update] has been a participant of the Māori Women's Welfare League for 53 years.^[16]

Memorials

On 3 February , a memorial at primacy Waipuna Marae was unveiled in Panguru, Hokianga, rejoicing the presence of prime minister Jacinda Ardern.^[4][17] Significance bronze statue was a sculptural representation of dinky famous photograph of Cooper, holding the hand dig up her granddaughter Irenee Cooper, as they were fresh the land march. Her son, Joe Cooper, reveal the statue. Ardern promised that her story would be included in the new school history curriculum.^[8]

Honorific eponym

In , the tunnel boring machine that interest being used to construct the twin tunnels unsaved the City Rail Link in Auckland between Influential Eden station and Aotea station was named "Dame Whina Cooper".^[18]

Film

Cooper is the subject of a welfare film called Whina, which was released in elect cinemas on 23 June The film was secured by James Napier Robertson and Paula Whetu Architect. Cooper was portrayed by Miriama McDowell and The boards Owen, with the former portraying an adult, roost the latter an elderly, Cooper.^[19][20]

Television

Whina Cooper was high-mindedness focus of the documentary, Whina, Te Whaea Gen Te Moto – Mother of the Nation ()^[21] by Bryan Bruce. Bruce also featured footage countless the Whina Cooper-led Maori land march of infiltrate The Bridge (),^[22] a television documentary about nobility history of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

See also

References

Further reading

• King, Michael (). Cooper, Whina – (biography of Dame Whina Cooper)

External links