How did Whina Cooper change NZ?

How did Whina Cooper change NZ?

Whina Cooper was renowned for her activism in fighting for Māori land rights. She was born in northern Hokianga on 9 December 1895. By the 1930s, she was a significant leader in northern Hokianga, and set up Māori land development schemes in the region with Apirana Ngata (an MP from 1905-1943).

What did Whina Cooper achieve?

Dame Whina Cooper, of Te Rarawa descent, was born in 1895 in northern Hokianga. She is best known for leading the famous 1975 land march (also called a hīkoi) from Te Hapua (in the far north) to Parliament in Wellington.

What was the outcome of the 1975 land march?

The Land March showed that Maori were finally able to stand up for themselves, it gave Maori a voice and made the public become aware of the injustice of their land loss and how it has affected them. This also showed that the Maori culture must be preserved as it has also helped shape New Zealand identity and society.

What Organisation was Whina Cooper president of and what did this group aim to do?

Whina founded and became first president of a Panguru branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. Whina quickly resumed a leading role in church and community activities. She trained a women’s committee to organise hui, tangihanga and fund-raising, and to offer hospitality to clergy and other visitors.

What did Whina Cooper do for New Zealand?

Whina Cooper, of Te Rārawa, was born in northern Hokianga in 1895. She took part in local affairs and by the 1930s had become a leader of the northern Hokianga people. In 1932 she played an active role, with Apirana Ngata, in setting up Māori land development schemes in the region.

What happened to Dame Whina Cooper?

In 2020, the tunnel boring machine that will be used to construct the twin tunnels of the City Rail Link in Auckland between Mount Eden station and Aotea station has been named “Dame Whina Cooper”. Cooper returned to Panguru in the Hokianga in 1983 and died there, aged 98, in 1994.

When was Whina Cooper’s biography published?

This biography, written by Michael King, was first published in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biographyin 2000. It was translated into te reo Māori by the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography team. Whina Cooper was born Hōhepine (Josephine) Te Wake at Te Karaka in northern Hokianga on 9 December 1895.

When did Helen Cooper move to Auckland?

She moved to Auckland in 1949 when her second husband, William Cooper, died. Her political activity changed from local to national. In September 1951 she was elected first president of the new Māori Women’s Welfare League “which was able to improve things notably for Maori women”, working on health, housing, education, and welfare.