Whina cooper biography of nancy

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Whina, now in her 80th year, was not only a visible part of Māori history again: she appeared to be at the helm. Her leadership during the land march heightened public awareness of Treaty of Waitangi violations, creating crucial momentum for institutional reform.

Though not directly drafting the legislation, Cooper’s tireless activism fighting for Māori land rights helped create the political environment where such a tribunal became necessary.

Consequently, Whina withdrew with Cooper and her three children to Kamo, where they raised a family of four more children. Her mother, Kare Pauro Kawatihi, was of Te Rarawa and Taranaki descent. Feeling less able to deal with controversies that still surrounded her as a family and community leader, she decided to leave Hokianga. She welcomed home members of the Māori Battalion at Te Kotahitanga marae at Kaikohe in February 1946.

Whina was not only challenging the customs of a Māori rural community, but she was doing so as a pillar of the Catholic church. Thus was born the Māori land march, which took place in September and October of that year. She preferred to lead from the front and to rely on the inspiration of the moment to carry the day. They built a nīkau whare and attempted to live off the land and from the sea.

She invited Ngata and his officials to visit Hokianga in August 1932 to explain the programme in detail to her people and to organise the distribution of funds. Cooper famously held her young granddaughter’s hand as she began the march, creating an iconic image of intergenerational struggle for indigenous rights.

The protesters marched under the slogan “Not one more acre of Māori land,” drawing attention to the continued alienation of tribal territories.

Her activism extended beyond land issues to improving access to essential services for Māori communities across New Zealand. In 1968 she organised a Waitangi Day pageant at Carlaw Park to educate Māori and Pākehā about the significance of the treaty. Her wide influence and nationally recognised activity led her to be acknowledged with awards in both the British and New Zealand Royal Honours Systems, and by her own people, who bestowed the title Te Whaea o te Motu ('Mother of the Nation') upon her.

Her performance was praised but she became frustrated because parents sent their children to school by rotation and because she was frequently needed at home to help with community affairs. She is remembered for leading the 1975 Māori land march from Te Hāpua to Wellington, a distance of 1,100 km (680 mi), at the age of 79.

A journalist noted that Whina was ‘the driving force’ at Panguru. At 79 years old, she walked 1,100 kilometers to protest ongoing land alienation, cementing her status as a national icon.

Fight for Land Rights

Dame Whina Cooper dedicated much of her life to the protection of Māori land rights, challenging government policies that eroded traditional lands.

To help heal relations with the church, Whina Cooper donated six acres of land for a new convent and school, which opened in 1950.