Dame whina cooper biography of mahatma

Whina Cooper

New Zealand Māori leader (–)

Dame Whina Cooper

ONZ DBE

Whina Cooper addressing the Māori land march at Hamilton in

In office
–
Succeeded byMīria Logan
Born

Hōhepine Te Wake


()9 December
Te Karaka, Hokianga, New Zealand
Died26 March () (aged&#;98)
Panguru, New Zealand
Spouses

Richard Gilbert

&#;

&#;

(m.&#;; died&#;)&#;

William Cooper

&#;

&#;

(m.&#;; died&#;)&#;
Children7
OccupationActivist, historian, schoolteacher

Dame Whina CooperONZ DBE (born Hōhepine Te Wake; 9 December – 26 March ) was a New Zealand kuia (Māori elder), who worked for many years for the rights of her people, and particularly to improve the lot of Māori women.

She is remembered for leading the Māori land march from Te Hāpua to Wellington, a distance of 1,&#;km (&#;mi), at the age of

Her wide influence and nationally recognised activity led her to be acknowledged with awards in both the British (Imperial) 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.

She is the subject of the film Whina.

Early life

Whina Cooper was born Hōhepine Te Wake,[1] daughter of community leader and 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 in her father's role, and in history and genealogy.

Her education began at Whakarapa Native School. In , she attended St Joseph's Māori Girls' College. After high school, she returned to Whakarapa (later Panguru) where her father wanted her to enter into an arranged marriage with Tureiti Te Heuheu Tukino V, leader of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Cooper refused, and instead worked at a local co-operative store.

She worked as a teacher for a brief time, at Pawarenga Native School. However, as one of only three teachers, she became frustrated, and found her time stretched between teaching and helping her own community. She left teaching in and was a housekeeper at the Catholic presbytery of Rawene for two years.[3] She kept her Catholic Christian faith her whole life.[4]

Political activism

– Whakarapa

Cooper's first involvement in politics was in the form of a land dispute over an area of leased mudflats in around The farmer who rented the land, Bob Holland, wanted to drain the estuary for farming.

This would have obstructed current use of the land by local iwi for gathering seafood and for racing horses during the drier months. Heremia challenged the lease in court, and Cooper led a group of protesters to fill in Holland's drains. The protesters were eventually charged with trespassing, but they had stalled events long enough for Heremia to be successful, and the Marine Department withdrew the lease.[3]

In , she returned to work at the co-operative store, and around this time, met her first husband, Richard Gilbert, of Ngāti Wai.

She married him on 10 May , with only her parents' knowledge, which led to some unhappiness with her wider family and community, who felt they should have been consulted. After her parents died, the couple left the family home and moved to family land at Te Karaka, where they had to build their own home. By they had two children, and were able to borrow money from a local priest to purchase her father's home and farm at Whakarapa and the local store.

There she played a leading role in business and the community, including in calling a hui that led to the name of Whakarapa being changed to Panguru. Her community leadership impressed politician Sir Āpirana Ngata, who invited her to a national hui in She worked alongside him to promote Māori land-development programmes in the Hokianga.

Biography of mahatma gandhi About this article Cooper, Whina — Updated About encyclopedia. Cooper, Thomas — Having lived simply throughout her life, she could move easily from a large farmhouse to a barn, and she dwelled quite happily in a small trailer before moving to a house. Cooperative and Collaborative Learning.

Through him, she also met William Cooper of Ngāti Kahungunu, who became her second husband after Richard Gilbert died of cancer in [3]

–s: Auckland

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

In , 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 s, she worked on a local level around Auckland, but kept largely out of the national spotlight.[3]

Land March

Further information: Māori Land March

This changed in when a coalition of Māori groups asked her to lead them in a protest against the loss of Māori land.

She agreed, proposing a Hīkoi (a symbolic march) from the northern tip of the North Island to Parliament in Wellington at the other end of the island.[3]

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

Honours and awards

  • In the Coronation Honours, Cooper was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the Māori people.[9]
  • In the Queen's Birthday Honours, she was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to Māori welfare and culture.[10]
  • In the New Year Honours, Cooper was further promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the Māori people.[11]
  • In , Cooper received the New Zealand Commemoration Medal.[12]
  • In the Queen's Birthday Honours, she became the 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 and died there, aged 98, in [3]

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

She is remembered as a leader who helped to shape New Zealand legislation relating to Māori people, as well as helping to develop the community in Auckland.

This would have obstructed current use of the land by local iwi for gathering seafood and for racing horses during the drier months. Cooper's work often intersected with feminist and women's movements in New Zealand. Cooperstown, New York. Whina was also awarded many awards, including honors from the queen for her services and leadership of the Maori people.

However she is most remembered for winning over the hearts of so many people when she led the land march, in both Māori and Pākehā communities.[8]

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

Memorials

On 3 February , a memorial at the Waipuna Marae was unveiled in Panguru, Hokianga, in the presence of prime minister Jacinda Ardern.[4][17] The bronze statue was a sculptural representation of a famous photograph of Cooper, holding the hand of her granddaughter Irenee Cooper, as they were starting the land march.

Her son, Joe Cooper, unveiled 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 is being used to construct the twin tunnels of the City Rail Link in Auckland between Mount Eden station and Aotea station was named "Dame Whina Cooper".[18]

Film

Cooper is the subject of a biographical film called Whina, which was released in selected cinemas on 23 June The film was directed by James Napier Robertson and Paula Whetu Jones.

Cooper was portrayed by Miriama McDowell and Rena Owen, with the former portraying an adult, and the latter an elderly, Cooper.[19][20]

Television

Whina Cooper was the focus of the documentary, Whina, Te Whaea O Te Moto – Mother of the Nation ()[21] by Bryan Bruce.

Bruce also featured footage of the Whina Cooper-led Maori land march of in The Bridge (),[22] a television documentary about the history of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Cooperatives, Tobacco. Whina Cooper became a female leader in New Zealand at a time where traditional gender roles only allowed males to have a dominant opinion and a leadership role. Although William was married, the couple became involved, and, at the time of Gilbert's death in March , Whina was seven months pregnant with Cooper's child. The Waitangi Tribunal played a vital role in the resolution of many of these claims.

See also

References

  1. ^King, Michael (). Whina, a biography of Whina Cooper. Hodder and Stoughton. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  2. ^Oliver, Steven. "Heremia Te Wake". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April
  3. ^ abcdefghKing, Michael.

    "Whina Cooper". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 1 August

  4. ^ ab"Whina Cooper: Fearless and unforgettable". 22 February
  5. ^Ministry for Culture and Heritage (6 May ). "Dame Whina Cooper". Retrieved 17 April
  6. ^Grau, Marion ().

  9. Rethinking Mission in the Postcolony: Salvation, Society and Subversion. A&C Black. pp.&#;58– ISBN&#;.

  10. ^ abMein Smith, Philippa (). A Concise History of New Zealand.

    Dame whina cooper biography of mahatma When nuns were brought to the area to establish a school, the Cooper family gave up their farmhouse and lived for a while in a barn in order to assist in the project. January 9, Retrieved 23 October There, Maori children were allowed to speak only English and were punished severely for speaking their own language.

    Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.

  11. ^ abcGraaf, Peter de (5 February ). "Dame Whina immortalised in bronze". NZ Herald. Retrieved 23 October
  12. ^"No. ".

  13. Dame Whina’s long march - NZ Catholic Newspaper
  14. Clear
  15. Whina Cooper - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
  16. Settings
  17. Whina Cooper - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help

    18. The London Gazette (4th supplement). 1 June p.&#;

  18. ^"No. ". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 15 June p.&#;
  19. ^"No. ". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December p.&#;
  20. ^Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand.

    Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  21. ^"The Queen's Birthday Honours List." (1 July ) 98 New Zealand Gazette
  22. ^"No. ". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 15 June p.&#;
  23. ^"The New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal – register of recipients".

    Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 July Retrieved 18 September

  24. ^Coster, Deena (22 June ). "Legacy lives on: Dame Whina Cooper's template for leadership". Stuff. Retrieved 23 October
  25. ^"People gathered at Waipuna Marae for unveiling of Dame Whina Cooper statue".

    3 February

  26. ^"City Rail Link update"(PDF). Roundabout (): September Retrieved 12 October
  27. ^Tuckett, Graeme (18 June ). "Whina: An extraordinary and gripping account of an exceptional life and times". Stuff.

    Cooper, Dame Whina Biography 1992 : Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank: Whina was willing to accept the money only after the priest convinced her that taking out a loan and paying it back could actually benefit others. Its development has reached a high standard, due largely to the unbounded enthusiasm of Mrs. Whina Cooper holding her mokopuna's granddaughter's hand during the march was a significant image that circulates the media from the march. While with Sir James Carroll , the Maori minister of Native Affairs, Heremia expressed his wish to send his daughter to boarding school but feared that he could not afford the expense.

    Archived from the original on 19 June Retrieved 19 June

  28. ^"Rena Owen: tackling the role of a lifetime in Whina". Radio New Zealand. 19 June Archived from the original on 19 June Retrieved 19 June
  29. ^"Dame Whina Cooper". . Retrieved 8 May
  30. ^Screen, NZ On.

    "The Bridge | Television | NZ On Screen". . Retrieved 8 May

Further reading

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

External links