How many kids does Whina Cooper have?
Daniel Johnson
Published Feb 27, 2026
How many kids does Whina Cooper have?
She was twice married – both times to Maoris, despite their European names – and twice widowed, and had six children.
Where did Dame Whina Cooper come from?
Te Karaka, New Zealand
Whina Cooper/Place of birth
How many siblings did Whina Cooper have?
Her mother, Kare Pauro Kawatihi, was of Te Rarawa and Taranaki descent. Whina was the first child of her father’s second marriage. Another daughter, Heretute, was born in 1897, and there were four half-brothers and three half-sisters from Heremia’s first family.
Who was Whina Cooper and what was she famous for?
Whina Cooper was renowned for her activism in fighting for Māori land rights. She was born in northern Hokianga on 9 December 1895. By the 1930s, she was a significant leader in northern Hokianga, and set up Māori land development schemes in the region with Apirana Ngata (an MP from 1905-1943).
What did Dame Whina Cooper achieve?
Dame Whina Cooper, of Te Rarawa descent, was born in 1895 in northern Hokianga. She is best known for leading the famous 1975 land march (also called a hīkoi) from Te Hapua (in the far north) to Parliament in Wellington.
What were Dame Whina Cooper’s values?
Dame Whina Cooper was a celebrated Māori leader and advocate for Māori rights and welfare. Dame Whina Cooper was a celebrated Māori leader and advocate for Māori rights and welfare.
Why did Dame Whina Cooper lead the land march?
1975 Whina Cooper leads land march to Parliament The primary aim of the hīkoi (march) was to protest against the continuing loss of Māori land.
When and where was Dame Whina Cooper born?
December 9, 1895, Te Karaka, New Zealand
Whina Cooper/Born
What did Whina Cooper believe in?
Cooper believed in a world where Māori and Pākeha lived in harmony, as equals, and regularly repeated this message: “Let us remember that the Treaty was signed so that we could all live as one nation in Aotearoa.” When Cooper died in 1994, aged 98, she was mourned by Māori and Pākeha alike.
What did Whina Cooper fight for?
Te Rārawa leader and woman of mana Dame Whina Cooper spent her whole life fighting for Māori land rights. As a 79-year old she led Māori land protest marchers as they walked from Te Hāpua (in the far north) to Parliament, arriving on 13 October 1975.
Who is Dame Whina Cooper?
Dame Whina Cooper was born Hōhepine Te Wake, daughter of Catholic catechist Heremia Te Wake and Kare Pauro Kawatihi, of the Te Rarawa iwi, at Te Karaka, Hokianga. 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.
When was Whina Cooper’s biography published?
This biography, written by Michael King, was first published in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biographyin 2000. It was translated into te reo Māori by the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography team. Whina Cooper was born Hōhepine (Josephine) Te Wake at Te Karaka in northern Hokianga on 9 December 1895.
Is Whina Cooper living or dead?
Whina Cooper was born on December 9, 1895 in Te Karaka, New Zealand as Whina Josephine Te Wake. She was married to William Cooper and Richard Gilbert. She died on March 26, 1994 in Hokianga, New Zealand. Spouse (2)
What did Whina Cooper do for New Zealand?
Whina Cooper, of Te Rārawa, was born in northern Hokianga in 1895. She took part in local affairs and by the 1930s had become a leader of the northern Hokianga people. In 1932 she played an active role, with Apirana Ngata, in setting up Māori land development schemes in the region.