Whina Cooper (1895-1994) was a respected Maori leader who spent decades fighting for the rights of Maori people and their land.
Whina Cooper (1895-1994) was a respected Maori leader who spent decades fighting for the rights of Maori people and their land.
History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Sundus Hassan, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, and Ale Tejada. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
We are offering free ad space on Wonder Media Network shows to organizations working towards social justice. For more information, please email Jenny at pod@wondermedianetwork.com.
Follow Wonder Media Network:
Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica.
This month, we’re covering Indigenous women from around the globe.
Today, we’re talking about a woman who dedicated her life to her community. As a respected Maori leader, she spent decades fighting for the rights of Maori people and their land.
Let’s talk about Whina Cooper.
Whina Cooper was born on December 9th, 1895 in northern New Zealand. Her father was a prominent leader in the community - he was a chief of the Hokianga tribes, and a catechist for the Catholic Church.
Growing up, Whina walked six miles to school every day. There, children were taught to read and write in English. They were punished for speaking their native tongue. But when Whina returned home, her father taught her about the Maori people, passing on Maori traditions, chants, and cultural medicines.
In 1904, Whina and her family moved to Panguru. When Whina finished school at 18, her father arranged a marriage for her. But Whina refused to get married. Over the next couple years, she worked in a variety of positions - she was a teacher, a clerk for a local co-operative, and a housekeeper for a religious institution.
Then, in 1917, Whina fell in love with a Maori surveyor named Richard Gilbert. Their marriage created a stir among her siblings and the larger Panguru community, where it was customary for community members to be included in decision-making around marriages.
Whina and Richard moved into her father’s home. But after both her parents died within the course of a year, Whina’s siblings evicted them. Whina and Richard were forced to leave Panguru. They moved into a small shack. To survive, Whina sold gum that she dug out of the fields that surrounded the house.
But in 1920, Whina’s luck changed. A priest she had worked for lent her money to buy back her father’s home and farm, plus the village store. Whina returned to Panguru, and in under three years she had grown the village store into a thriving business, paid off her loans, and opened three new stores, plus a post office.
Whina quickly became a leader in the community - she organized a community center, opened a community clinic next to one of her stores, founded a branch of the New Zealand farmers union, and coached children’s rugby and basketball.
In 1929, New Zealand’s Parliament passed legislation to help Maoris develop land into profitable farms. Whina helmed the implementation of this law, becoming the supervisor for nearly 7,000 acres of farmland. She was a huge reason for the program’s initial success.
While doing this work, Whina met the government official William Cooper. Their professional relationship quickly turned romantic - just as Whina’s husband Richard was battling with cancer.
When Richard died in 1935, Whina was pregnant with William’s child, and she announced that she would marry William, as soon as he could get a divorce from his first wife. This decision challenged both Maori and Catholic customs - and once again, Whina’s decision about who she was going to marry forced her to leave her home.
Whina and William moved to Kamo with her three children. She had four more children with William. Even though she was technically in exile, Whina was still active in the Maori community, organizing events and ceremonies.
In 1941, after Whina and William officially married, Whina returned to Panguru and officially resumed her role as a community leader. In 1947, she became the first woman elected president of a rugby union branch.
In 1949, William died unexpectedly of a heart attack. Afterwards, Whina decided to join the migration of rural Maori into the city. In 1951 she settled in Grey Lynn, Auckland. There, she helped found the Maori Women’s Welfare League, and became its first president.
At the time, many Maori migrants living in Auckland were living in substandard, overcrowded dwellings, and were often being underpaid for their work. The Women’s Welfare League painstakingly documented the need for better housing for Maori people - conducting a street-by-street survey. Their research persuaded the government to build more adequate housing for Maori tenants.
After five years, the Maori Women’s Welfare League had 300 branches and 4,000 members. In 1957, Whina stepped down as president. She was given the title Mother of the Nation.
But Whina wasn’t done organizing. In 1975, white New Zealanders began seizing Maori land. In protest, Whina organized the Maori land march, a 700 mile march that took place over 30 days and ended at the steps of Parliament. At 79 years old, Whina was at the front of the march, walking alongside her 3 year old granddaughter.
In 1981, in recognition of her activism and influence, Whina was made a Dame of the British Empire - the equivalent of being knighted.
Whina passed away on March 26, 1994. She died in Hokianga, under the Panguru mountains, on the same land where she had been born 98 years earlier. Her leadership in the Maori community created a lasting impact - when she died, more than a million people watched her funeral on live television.
All month, we’re talking about Indigenous women.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!