Whina Cooper: Difference between revisions

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 1907, 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 1914 and was a housekeeper at the Catholic presbytery of [[Rawene|Rāwene]] for two years.<ref name="DNZB">{{DNZB|last=King|first=Michael|title=Whina Cooper|id=5C32|access-date=1 August 2022}}</ref> She kept her Catholic Christian faith her whole life.<ref name=":0" />

Cooper's first involvement in politics was in the form of a land dispute over an area of leased [[mudflats]] in around 1914. The farmer, Bob Holland, who rented the land, Bob Holland, wanted to drain the [[estuary]] for farming. ThatThis 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trespassing, but they had stalled events long enough for Heremia to be successful, and the leaseMarine wasDepartment withdrawn bywithdrew the Marine Departmentlease.<ref name="DNZB"/>

In 1916, 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 1917, 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, theythe couple left the family home, and moved to family land at Te Karaka, where they had to build their own home. By 1920, 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 [[commerce | business]] and the community, including in 1923 calling a [[Hui (Māori assembly)|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 1932. She worked alongside him to promote [[Māori people|Māori]] land -development programmes in the Hokianga. Through him, she also met William Cooper of [[Ngāti Kahungunu]], who became her second husband after Richard Gilbert died of cancer in 1935.<ref name="DNZB"/>

Whina Cooper was the focus of the documentary, ''Whina, Te Whaea O Te Moto -– Mother of the Nation'' (1992)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dame Whina Cooper |url=https://ngataonga.org.nz/set/item/566 |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=ngataonga.org.nz |language=en}}</ref> by [[Bryan Bruce]]. Bruce also featured footage of the Whina Cooper-led Maori land march of 1975 in ''The Bridge'' (2002),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Screen |first=NZ On |title=The Bridge {{!}} Television {{!}} NZ On Screen |url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-bridge-2002 |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=www.nzonscreen.com |language=en}}</ref> a television documentary about the history of the [[Auckland Harbour Bridge]].