whina cooper

The Treaty debated

Te Rarawa leader and woman of mana, Dame Whina Cooper spent her whole life fighting for Maori land rights. As an 80-year old she led 5,000 Maori land protest marchers as they walked from Te Hapua (in the far north) to Parliament, arriving on 13 October 1975.

About 5000 marchers arrived at Parliament and presented a petition signed by 60,000 people to Prime Minister Bill Rowling. The primary aim of the hīkoi (march) was to call for an end to the alienation (sale) of Māori land.

Dame Whina Cooper (seated on right) and others in the public gallery of the Court of Appeal, 5 May 1987.