Story: Kaumātua – Māori elders

Kaumātua: Whina Cooper (1st of 5)

Kaumātua: Whina Cooper

Whina Cooper of Te Rarawa addresses the Māori land march in September 1975 in Hamilton. She spent many years working for her iwi, and for Māori. While perhaps best known for her role in leading the land march, she was the first president of the Māori Women's Welfare League. When she stepped down as president in 1957 the annual conference gave her the title Te Whāea-o-te-motu, meaning Mother of the Nation.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, C. F. Heinegg Collection
Reference: 35mm-87529-13-F
Photograph by Christian F. Heinegg

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Rawinia Higgins and Paul Meredith, 'Kaumātua – Māori elders - Kaumātua and their role', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/28349/kaumatua-whina-cooper (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Rawinia Higgins and Paul Meredith, published 5 May 2011