Mother of the Nation

In the1930s Whina's position as Māori leader of the northern Hokianga was unchallenged. Legislation was put through by parliament for Māori to borrow public funds which would help develop land for whānau. Whina became the official supervisor for the Panguru and Waihou schemes and unofficial adviser for nine others "A journalist noted that Whina was ‘the driving force’ at Panguru" (king, 2000). At the Māori Womens Welfare League in Wellington Septemeber 1951 Whina was elected foundation president. 1975 a coalition group formed Te Rōpū Matakite o Aotearoa to combat further alienation of Māori land and asked Whina to lead them, she accepted and marched to parliament in Wellington. Whina led around 5,000 people into parliament grounds and presented a memorial of rights from 200 Māori elders.

Whina’s father Heremia Te Wake was a notable community leader with his role as the chief. Like her father, Whina took pride in helping the Māori community, which extended beyond her iwi. Whina demonstrated this in her move to the city of Auckland in 1949, where she became president of the Māori Women’s Welfare League in 1951.

Whina played a significant role in helping to establish the organization and advocating for the well-being of Māori women and families. However, she is most renowned for her role as the leader of the Māori Land March in 1975.

The Māori land march started on the 14th of September in Northland, marching the length of the North Island, finishing outside of the parliament building in Wellington on the 13th of October. The 640 kilometer march concluded with 5000 participants joining the march reaching parliament, resulting in official recognition by the government of discrimination of Māori and the loss of their land. Whina was also awarded many awards, including honors from the queen for her services and leadership of the Maori people. 

While Cooper was primarily known for her work on Māori land issues, she did not ignore the concerns of women within her community. She advocated for the rights of Māori women and recognized the importance of addressing gender-specific challenges, such as access to education and healthcare.

Cooper's work often intersected with feminist and women's movements in New Zealand. While her main focus was Māori land rights, her collaboration with women's groups helped bridge the gap between indigenous rights and women's rights movements, highlighting the intersectionality of her activism.

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. Therefore, she faced a lot of challenges based on her gender. Such as gendered stereotypes about her role as a woman in power, creating challenges to being recognized as a leader for women in society. As in the 1900’s, women were unable to have a voice and share this due to such extensive gender roles that formed a gender imbalance in how women and men were perceived in a leadership position and their ability to freely express their voices and opinions.