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Kōrero: Cooper, Whina

Whārangi 1: Haurongo

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Cooper, Whina

1895–1994

Nō Te Rarawa; he wahine whai mana, he kaiwhakaako, he kaihokohoko, he poutoko iwi

I tuhia tēnei haurongo e Michael King, ā, i tāngia tuatahitia ki Ngā Tāngata Taumata Rau i te 2000. He mea whakamāori nā Ngā Tangata Taumata Rau.

I whānau a Whina Cooper, arā, ko Hōhepine (Josephine) Te Wake tōna īngoa i taua wā, i Te Karaka ki te raki o Te Hokianga i te 9 o Tīhema o te tau 1895. Ko tōna matua ko Heremia Te Wake, he rangatira nō ngā hapū o Ngāti Manawa rāua ko Te Kaitūtae o Te Rarawa, ā, hei tama atu hoki a ia mā tētahi Marikena, kaipatu tohorā nei. Ko Kare Pauro Kawatihi tōna whaea, nō Te Rarawa anō, ā, ko tētahi taha ōna nō Taranaki. Ko Whina te mātāmua o ngā tamariki o te moenga tuarua o tōna matua. He tamāhine anō tō tēnei moenga, ko Heretute, nō te tau 1897 i whānau ai. Tokowhā ngā tamariki tāne, tokotoru ngā wāhine o te moenga tuatahi.

I a ia e tupu ake ana i te kāinga o Te Karaka, ā, atu i te tau 1904, i te kāinga pātata mai nei, i Whakarapa, i tino kawekawea ake ai a Whina e ngā mahi a tōna matua, he poutoko nei mō tōna iwi, kaikatikīhama atu hoki mō te Hāhi Katorika, nō te tau 1838 i tū ai ki taua takiwā. Nā Heremia ia i whāngai ki tana taha Māori me tana taha wairua; e tamariki tonu ana ka hiahia nei ia ki ngā mahi whakapapa me ngā kōrero o neherā. Nā te kakama o tōna hinengaro me te ngangahau kē nei o tōna ngākau, i takina ake ai a Whina e tana matua hei tamaiti makau, piki tūranga mōna. Noho ana tēnei hei take whakarikarika i te whānau whānui tonu.

E whitu pea te pakeke o Whina, ka haere nei ia ki te Kura Māori o Whakarapa, i te tīmatanga mā raro tonu hīkoi atu ai i te ono māero ki te kura. Nō te tau 1907 i haere ia ki te Kura Māori o Hato Hōhepa (St Joseph’s Māori Girls’ School) i Ahuriri (Napier); nā Timi Kara (James Carroll), te hoa nei o tana matua, te Minita anō hoki mō ngā Take Māori, i āwhina te taha moni. I reira i akona ia ki te tuhi i ngā kōrero, ki te whakahaere hoki i te taha pūtea, ki te tuhituhi reta, ki te whakataki kōrero, ki te tunu kai me te tuitui kaka, whakataetae tākaro atu hoki. I tana hokinga atu ki Whakarapa i te tau 1911, kore rawa ia i whakaae ki te tono mai a tana matua kia moea e ia te ariki o Ngāti Tūwharetoa, a Tūreiti Te Heuheu Tūkino V, kātahi tonu nei ka pouarutia. Ko tāna i hiahia ai ko te mahi i te toa ohu o tana wā kāinga, ka kitea ake nei tōna mōhio ki te whakahaere mahi.

I te tau 1913 ka whakatūria a Whina hei kaiwhakaako tauira i te Kura Māori o Pāwarenga, i te taha tonga o te ākau o Whāngāpē. Tokotoru nei ngā kaiwhakaako o te kura, ko ia anake te Māori. Ahakoa te kōrerotia o tōna pai ki te ako, takeo ana a ia i te mea he takahuri rā kē, tamaiti kē te momo tuku mai a ngā mātua i ā rātou tamariki ki te kura, me te kaha hiahia mai hoki o tōna rahi ki a ia hei waha i ā rātou mahi o te wā kāinga. Kāti, nō te tau 1914 i tuku ia i tana tūnga, ka haere kē nei ia hei kaiwhakapai whare i te kāinga o te pirihi Katorika i Rāwene. Tata te pau i a ia o te rua tau ki reira.

Kātahi anō ka mutu atu tana mahi kaiwhakaako, ka ara ake he raruraru ki waenganui i te iwi, ko te kaupapa, ko te rīhitanga i ngā taikoraha o Whakarapa ki tētahi Pākehā mahi pāmu, ko Bob Holland te īngoa. Ka tahuri te Pākehā nei me ana tama ki te keri i ngā wai o ngā reporepo tai moana, kia pai ai te rui ki te karaihe hei kai mā ana kau. Koinei te wāhi kohi mātaitai o te iwi o reira i te wā e pari ake ana te tai, ā, i te wā e timu ana te tai he wāhi whakaomaoma hōiho kē tēnei nō rātou. Ko tā Heremia rongoā, he tuku mā te ture – mā te kōti me te Pāremata – e turaki te rīhi. Ko tā tana tamāhine – tekau mā waru tau te pakeke i taua wā – he ārahi i tētahi rōpū o tōna whakatupuranga, ki te whakakīkī i ngā awakeri kātahi anō ka oti atu te kari mai a te hunga rā. Nāwai i haere tēnei mahi, ka karangatia ngā pirihimana, karawhiua ana a Whina mā ki te ture mō te hē o te haere pokanoa i te whenua rā. Otirā, nā runga i te wawaotanga o ngā mema Māori o Te Tai Tokerau, o Te Rangi Hīroa (Peter Buck) rāua ko Tau Hēnare (te tētēkura whakakapi i te tūranga o Te Rangi Hīroa), i whakamutua ake ai te rīhi rā e te Tari Ahu Moana (Marine Department).

I te takiwā o te whakamutunga atu o te tau 1916, i hoki anō a Whina ki ōna mātua noho ai, ka mahi anō i te toa ohu. Kāore i roa, te mau o ngā whatu ki tētahi tangata kairūri mau tīni, he kaimahi nā te Kōti Whenua Māori, ko Rīhari (Richard) Gilbert te īngoa, nō Te Waiariki o Ngāti Wai i te takiwā o Ngunguru. Nā te ātaahua, nā te pakari o te tinana me tana mōhio ki te mahi, ka tau te whakaaro o Whina koinei te tangata hei tāne māna. I te 10 o Mei i te tau 1917, i haria atu a Rīhari e Whina ki Rāwene, ka whakapatia ake e ia a Pā Charles Kreymborg hei mārena i a rāua; mahue ake ana ko ōna mātua anake ngā mea i whakamōhiotia e Whina. Ko te kaimataara o te mārena, ko te teina o Rīhari, ko Mohi (Moses) te īngoa. Ka puta te rongo o te mārena nei ki te iwi, ka tipu te raruraru nā te mea hoki kāore i whai wāhi atu te iwi; peia ana a Whina ki te tapa o ngā whakahaere o Whakarapa, ka kōpā kē atu hoki tā rātou noho ko ana tēina, tuākana.

Ka noho nei rāua i te kāinga o ōna mātua, he whakatipu kai, he miraka i ngā kau a Heremia tā rāua mahi. I te wā e ora ana ōna mātua, kāore rāua e taea atu e ngā kiriweti o te takiwā kāinga me rātou o tōna whānau. Heoi anō, nō te marama o Hune ka mate tana whaea, ā, nō te marama o Noema o te tau o muri iho, ka mate ko Heremia i te urutā rewharewha. I te mea kāore i whakahoungia tana wira i tana moenga i tana wahine tuarua i panaia atu e ana tungāne a Whina me tana tāne i te kāinga o te whānau. Neke atu ana rāua tahi ko tā rāua tamāhine, ko Carla Te Mōrehu, kātahi anō ka whānau mai, ki ngā pānga whenua o te whānau i Te Karaka, he poaka kotahi noa nei tā rātou me ō rātou kaka noa e mau ake ana ka mutu. Ka hangaia nei tō rāua whare nīkau, ka whakamātau nei rāua kia whai oranga mai i te whenua me te moana. Nō te tau 1919 i whānau ai tā rāua tamaiti tuarua, a Gerard ki reira. Kitea ana e Rīhari Gilbert he mahi rākau māna i Tapuwae, ā, hei te pito o ngā wiki ka hoki atu ia ki tō rātou kāinga, hari moni, mau kai atu ai mā tōna whānau. Ko tā Whina mahi, he hoki atu ki ngā mahinga kauri tawhito o Te Karaka, kari kāpia ai.

Nō te tau 1920 i ora mai rāua i ngā āhuatanga kino e poke nei i a rāua. Ina rā ko tō rāua kaiwhakaora ko Pā Kreymborg, i taua wā ko ia nei te pirihi i Whakarapa, kua whai moni tuku iho nei ia mai i tana whānau. Pā ana hoki te āwangawanga ki taua pirihi i tana kite iho kua tōtara-wāhi-rua a Whakarapa i te matenga atu o Heremia. Hāunga rā i kite tonu ia i ngā pūmanawa o te manukura i roto i a Whina, ka kōrero atu i tana hiahia ki te tuku moni ki a rāua hei hoko mai i te kāinga me te pāmu a Heremia i ōna tungāne, me te hoko mai anō hoki i te toa i Whakarapa. Mā ngā moni e puta ana i te pāmu me te toa e whakahoki atu te moni a Pā Kreymborg. Whakaae ana a Whina ki te tukunga a te pirihi rā, taki hoki atu ana ki Whakarapa.

Tino eke ana ngā whakaaro o taua pirihi i te pai o Whina ki te whakahaere i te mahi pakihi. Ko ngā ō o te toa, he mea hoko puku rahi tonu mai e ia i Peretānia, ā, kāore noa iho i roa, kua nuku kē atu te hua o ngā taonga e hokona ana e ia. He tuku kāpia kauri, hakeka ( Auricularia polytricha ) nei tana mahi ki tāwahi, ā, riro mai ana i a ia he rōnihi me te taraka. Kāore e moea te pō i te roa o āna hāora mahi, e toru tau noa iho ka ea te moni tuku mai a Pā Kreymborg, ka hangaia he toa hou me te toa whakaputunga ki Whakarapa. Tāpiritia atu anō hoki e ia he poutāpeta, whakatuwheratia ana hoki e ia he peka nei ki Waihou me Mitimiti. Nō te tau 1923, i karangatia e ia he hui whānui, ā, kia kore ai e taupatupatu ki te īngoa o Whakapara i te tonga o Whāngārei, i whakaīngoatia kētia ai tō rātou kāinga o Whakarapa ko Panguru. I taua wā e mahi tonu ana a Rīhari i te pāmu, me te haere tonu hoki o tana mahi i te pūihi. I te mutunga atu ka hokona mai e rāua he pāmu tuarua i Tautehere, ka whakakapia ake anō ā rāua kau miraka whakataka, whakatūtū whare mirika hou atu hoki. Tīmata anō hoki tā rāua whakatipu i te kau tiehe (Jersey), he momo kau anō, whiwhi atu anō hoki rāua i ngā parāihe mō te pai o ā rāua kāwhe. Nā Whina i tū ai te peka o te Uniana Mahi Pāmu o Niu Tīreni (New Zealand Federated Farmers Union) ki Panguru, ko ia tonu te perehitini tuatahi.

Ka tae ki ngā mahi a te iwi me te hāhi, tere ana te tū mai anō o Whina. Whakaakona ana e ia tētahi komiti wāhine Māori ki te whakahaere hui, whakahaere tangihanga, kohikohi moni, manaaki pirihi, manuhiri anō hoki. Pīpiri tonu nei te mahi a taua komiti me ngā none o Hato Hōhepa o te Manawa Tapu (Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart), nā rātou rā i huaki he kura me te kawenati Katorika ki taua kāinga. He ongaonga nōna ki ngā tikanga ka kore nei e whakaaetia te wahine kia tū ki te kōrero i te marae, i huakina ai e Whina tōna ake wāhi hui mō te hapori nei i te taha o tana toa, i whakaīngoatia nei ko te Hōro Pāriha, kia kore ai e takahi i ngā tikanga a te marae. Hangaia ana e ia he whare haumanu ki te taha anō o te toa, kia tarea e ngā tākuta me ngā nēhi o te kaupapa whakaora a Tākuta G. M. Smith o Te Hokianga, ngā tūroro nei te tirotiro. Mō te taha ki ngā mahi tākaro, pārekareka ana ki a Whina te tākaro hōkī, whakaako i te whutupaoro, pāhiketepōro hoki.

Ka taka mai ki te tīmatanga o te tekau tau atu i 1930, kāore he mea i tua atu i a Whina hei kaiārahi mō te raki o Te Hokianga. Nā tōna mana, i noho katoa mai ai ngā tāngata whai mātauranga me ngā āpiha mahi mā te iwi whānui ki tōna kāinga, pēraka i a Te Rangi Hīroa, i a Tau Hēnare, i a Tiati Ātihana (F. O. V. Acheson), i te Ahorangi Horace Belshaw o te kāreti o te whare wānanga o Tāmaki-makau-rau (Auckland University College), i a Tākuta Ivan Sutherland o te kāreti o te whare wānanga o Wikitōria (Victoria University College) me Johannes Andersen o te whare pukapuka o Alexander Turnbull.

Nā te ture i whakatakotoria atu rā e Tā Apirana Ngata – ko ia nei te Minita mō ngā Take Māori – ki te aroaro o te Pāremata i te tau 1929, kātahi anō ka āhei te Māori ki te tono moni āwhina atu i te tahua o te motu whānui hei whakapara whenua, mahi taiepa, kari awakeri, rui karaihe atu hoki ki runga i ō rātou whenua. Nā tētahi tikanga anō i āhei ai ngā whānau Māori ki te whakatōpū mai i ō rātou pānga whenua ki roto i te poraka kotahi, hei whakatū pāmu kia puta ai he oranga mō ngā whānau. I a Apirana e kimi kaiārahi ā-takiwā nei hei poutokomanawa mō tana kaupapa ahu i ngā whenua Māori, i heipū tonu tana kite i te pai o Whina mō te mahi nei. Ko Whina tonu tētahi i pōhiritia e Ngata kia tae ake ki te hui a te motu i Te Whakarewarewa i Hune o te tau 1932. Ko te pūtake o te hui he whakamārama ki ngā rangatira o te ao Māori me pēhea e tutuki pai ai te kaupapa ahu whenua nei, me te hari atu hoki i a rātou ki te kite i ngā kaupapa ahu whenua e mahia tonutia mai nei i Rotorua, puta atu hoki i Te Moana-a-Toi-te-huatahi (Bay of Plenty).

Ngākau reka ana a Whina i tana kitenga i te kaupapa e whakamahia ana, ā, ko tōna whakaaro ki a Apirana, he tangata titiro whānui, he tangata whakatepe, tino mōhio kē nei ki te mahi ahu whenua. Nō te marama o Ākuhata i te tau 1932 i rere atu ai te pōhiri a Whina ki a Apirana rātou ko ana āpiha kia haere ake ki Te Hokianga ki te āta whakamārama i te kaupapa ki tana iwi, me te toha mai anō hoki i ngā moni hei whakatinana i te take nei. Whakahaerea ake ana te hui nei i tana Hōro Pāriha, ā, i te mutunga mai whakawehewehea ana a Te Hokianga kia tekau mā tahi ngā mahinga ahu whenua, hui katoa e 98,000 eka te rahi, e 7,000 eka o ēnei ki Panguru, ki Waihou me Motutī. Riro ana ko Whina hei kaiwhakahaere mō ngā mahi ahu whenua o Panguru me Waihou, ā, hei kaiwhakahaere mana kore noa nei mō ētahi kaupapa atu anō, e iwa te nui. E iwa marama nei i muri mai, i tae atu anō a Apirana rātou ko te Pirimia, ko Hōri Whōpi (George Forbes), me ngā rangatira Māori, mema atu hoki o te kaunihera ā-rohe o Te Hokianga (Hokianga County Council). Ki te kōrero a tētahi kaituhi nūpepa, ko Whina tonu te mauri whakahaere o Panguru. I roto i tētahi atu rīpoata e whakahuatia ana tōna rite ki te ‘wahine toa, keringa toa’. Koinei tōna kitenga tuatahitanga e te hunga tā kōrero o te motu.

Ko te tangata i whakatūria e Apirana hei āpiha matua whakatōpū whenua mō Te Tai Tokerau, ko Wiremu Turakiuta Kupa (William Cooper) o Ngāti Kahungunu, he pērā tonu i a Apirana nei te mōhio ki te whakahaere whenua, mōhio hoki ki ngā tikanga Māori. Ko te kanohi Māori a ia i runga i te kōmihana a te Karauna i te tau 1927, he titiro nei te mahi i ngā raupatu whenua Māori o te rau tau tekau mā iwa. Nā te whakamahi ake a Whina i te kaupapa ohu i tere ai te ahu whakamua o ngā mahi ahu whenua o Te Hokianga ki te raki, ā, i auau tonu tā rāua kite i a rāua. Nāwai rā neke kē atu ana ngā hui akoako nei a Whina rāua ko Wiremu Kupa hei hui whakaipoipo kē nei mā rāua. I taua wā rā, e kaha kē ana te heke haere o te ora o Rīhari i te mate pukupuku.

I te matenga o Rīhari i Maehe o te tau 1935 kua hapū kē a Whina i a Wiremu. Pāohotia ana e Whina te āhua o rāua ko Wiremu ki te iwi whānui i tētahi hui i Panguru, me tana kī anō, tūturu mai ana te wehenga o Wiremu rāua ko tana wahine tuatahi, kātahi rāua ka mārena ai. Hiwa ana te tumeke o te iwi, hiwa ana anō hoki tō rātou whakatakariri ki te āhua o tēnei mahi. E kī, e kī, māna rawa, mā Whina, hei takatakahi ngā tikanga Māori, ka mutu, he pou nei ia nō te Hāhi Katorika. Ēngari mō tēnā. I te mutunga mai hūnuku atu ana a Whina rāua ko Wiremu me ngā tamariki tokotoru a Whina ki Kamo, ka mahue atu a Panguru. I reira, tokowhā atu ā rāua tamariki. Nō muri mai i tutuki ai te whakakorenga atu a te Hāhi i te mārena o Wiremu rāua ko tana wahine tuatahi, ā, takahuri mai ana a ia hei Katorika. Nō te 21 o Pēpuere o te tau 1941, i mārena ai rāua i Ōtīria, i te rā tonu i mana ai te wehenga tūturu o Wiremu.

Ahakoa tana noho whakamanene mai i tana kāinga me tōna iwi, mau tonu te mana o Whina ki roto i ngā kaupapa Māori. Nāna i whakahaere ngā mahi taka kai mō te whakatuwheratanga o te whare nui i Waitangi i Pēpuere o te tau 1940, ā, tomokia ana hoki e ia te paepae, i te tānga o te kawa o taua whare. Nā rāua anō ko Wiremu i whakaoreore ngā mahi whakahou i te whare nui o Te Porowini i Taumārere. I te wā o te Pakanga Tuarua o te Ao, ka whakapaua e ia tana kaha ki te mahi moni mā te rōpū tautoko i ngā Mahi Māori mō te Whawhai (Māori War Effort Organisation), ko ia i te whakahaere i ngā hāngi, i ngā rā rērehi hōiho, me te hokohoko atu i ngā rourou kai i te mākete, he mea whakatū mārika anō mō tēnei mahi. Taupiri tonu nei a Whina ki te Minita o taua whakahaere, ki a Paraire Paikea, me Te Puea Hērangi anō hoki.

I muri mai i tō rāua mārena, i hoki anō a Whina rāua ko Wiremu ki Panguru. Āta riro ake anō i a ia tōna tūranga rangatira, ēngari kore rawa i pērā te nui o te tautoko i a ia pērā i mua. Kawakawa noa ana te mutunga mai o tana whakamātautanga ki te whakatū whare nui whakairo ki Panguru. Kitea ana te tōtōā o te nuinga o ngā pāmu miraka kau i tū i ngā mahi ahu whenua a Apirana, arā, he pakupaku rawa nō ngā pāmu, waihoki, i tīmata ake te whakarērea o ngā whenua e te hunga nā rātou i whakawātea, i ruia ake rā ki te karaihe tekau tau i mua, ā, e taea hoki e Whina te aha. Hāunga anō āna ake pāmu, me kōrero te nui o te hua, ka hokona mai anō e rāua he pāmu i Tautoro. Hei hohou i tōna rongo ki te Hāhi, ka tukua e ia e ono eka hei whakatū kura me te kawenati hou nei, nō te tau 1950 i whakatuwheratia ai. Ko ia te hēkeretari a te komiti whakahaere ā-iwi o Panguru (Panguru Tribal Executive Committee), mai i te tau 1946 ki 1952.

Tāmutumutu nei te hau o te rongo o Whina mō ana mahi ārahi i ōna iwi o Te Tai Tokerau. Nāna i pōwhiri ake ngā mōrehu o te hokowhitu Māori ki te marae o Te Kotahitanga i Kaikohe, i Pēpuere o te tau 1946. I te marama o Āperira o te tau 1947, e ai ki te kōrero, ko ia te wahine tuatahi i pōtitia hei perehitini mō te peka o te uniana whutupaoro. I te tau 1949, ko ia tētahi i whai wāhi atu ki ngā hui a te kōmihana a te Karauna mō ngā whenua tuhene. Kāti koa nō Ākuhata anō o taua tau, i taumarumaru ai ōna rā, ka whai kē nei ia he ara kē i te matenga ohorere nei o Wiremu, he mate manawa nei tōna mate. Nā te kore kaha o Whina ki te whakarite i ngā tautohetohenga e popoke nei i tana whānau me tana tūranga hautū, ka tau nei te whakaaro kia wehe atu ia i Te Hokianga. Waihoki rā kua tīmata kē te whai atu a ana tamariki me ana mokopuna i ngā heke rā ki ngā tāone noho ai. Otirā kua tae kē tēnei ki te wā kia kuraina ngā mea pōtiki o ana tamariki ki te kura tuarua. Tau ana te whakaaro o Whina me whai anō ia i te heke atu ki te tāone. Kāore i pau te tau, ka hokona e ia ētahi o ana whenua, ā, whakawhitia atu ana e ia te toenga atu ki ana irāmutu. Ka taka ki te puku o te tau 1951, e noho kē mai ana ia i tana whare hou i Grey Lynn i Ākarana (Auckland).

Kāore noa iho i roa, i kitea e ia ko te mahi kē nei māna e pā kē ana ki te iwi whānui, hāunga ake te tūranga kaiārahi ā-iwi. I te hui whakaara i te Rōpū Wāhine Toko i te Ora (Māori Women’s Welfare League) i Pōneke (Wellington) i Hepetema o te tau 1951, pōtitia ana a Whina hei perehitini tuatahi. Ko tana mahi tuatahi he takahi i te motu ki te whakatū i ngā peka hau kāinga, peka ā-rohe atu hoki. Hāngai ana tēnei mahi ki ana kaha ki te whaikōrero, whakakīkī atu hoki i te tangata kia whai mai i tana kaupapa; tino manahau ana te tutuki pai i a ia o āna mahi. Tahuri ana rātou ko tana rōpū whakahaere ki te hanga kaupapa whakapai ake i te noho a ngā wāhine Māori me ngā tamariki, me te tūhonohono atu anō hoki ki ngā mana whakahaere ā-rohe, tae atu ki ngā tari kāwanatanga, me ētahi atu rōpū wāhine.

Ko tētahi o ngā kōkiringa tuatahitanga a te rīki, arā, a Whina, he āta titiro i te āhua o ngā whare o ngā Māori o Ākarana. Nō te tirohanga atu i kitea te maha o ngā manene mai i te taiwhenua, e tokomaha rawa ana ngā tāngata e noho ana i te whare kotahi, tae atu ki te tino poke anō o aua whare. Nā tēnei āhua rā i whakakorikori te kaunihera whakahaere o Tāmaki-makau-rau (Auckland City Council), me te Tari Māori ki te turaki i aua wāhi hawa, kātahi ka whakanui mai ai i ngā whare o te kāwanatanga me te kaunihera mō ngā kairīhi Māori. He tiro anō hoki tā te Rōpū Wāhine Toko i te Ora i ngā mahi whakaakoranga, mahi taka ki te hara, tiro tonu i ia whakahāweatanga i te Māori i te wā e kimi whare, kimi mahi, kimi ratonga hauora ana rānei. Nā te mea ko te Rōpū Wāhine Toko i te Ora te whakahaere Māori tuatahi o te motu, i tere tonu te whakarongo mai a ngā mema Pāremata me ngā tari kāwanatanga ki ana kōrero i tāpaetia ake nei. Piri kau tonu te whakahoahoa ake a Whina ki a Te Kōpata (Ernest Corbett), te Minita mō ngā Take Māori o te Rōpū Nāhinara, me Waata Naahi (Walter Nash), ko ia nei te rangatira o te āpitihana me te waha kōrero hoki mō ngā take Māori o te Rōpū Reipa. Nā te mea ko Whina tonu te kanohi o te Rōpū Wāhine me pēhea hoki tōna kore e mōhio whānuitia e te motu, he noho mai tonu tana mahi hei take kōrero mō ngā nūpepa. Nō te tau 1953, i whakawhiwhia a ia ki te hōnore a te Kuini, ki te MBE.

Ka taka mai nei ki te tau 1956, kua neke kē atu i te toru rau ngā peka o te Rōpū Wāhine Toko i te Ora, waru tekau mā waru ngā kaunihera ā-rohe, ā, neke atu ana i te whā mano ngā mema. Ka tīmata ake anō hoki te amuamu o ētahi o aua mema ki ngā mahi a Whina e kōkiri nei i ngā kaupapa, ka mahue i a ia te kōrero ki tana komiti whakahaere, whakaaro kē ana ia ki te noho perehitini tonu ā mate noa. Nō te tau o muri mai, i whakapatipatitia a ia kia heke iho i taua tūranga. Ko te koha atu a te hui ā-tau ki a ia, ko te whakairitanga i te īngoa o Te Whaea o te Motu ki runga ki a ia.

I taua wā kua tata kē atu ōna tau ki te whitu tekau, ka tū nei ia hei kaitōrangapū motuhake i te tau 1963, i ngā whakataetae pōti mō te tūru o Te Tai Tokerau. Kāti koa i tuaono noa ia i aua whakataetaetanga, 257 noa āna pōti, 3,090 kē nei ā Matiu Rata. Tahuri ana ia ki te mahi moni hei whakatū marae tāone i Tāmaki-makau-rau, hei taunga Katorika Māori anō hoki, ko Te Ūnga Waka te īngoa, nō Maehe o te tau 1966 i huakina ai. I te tau 1968, i te rā whakanui i te Tiriti o Waitangi, ka whakatūria e ia he hui whakangahau ki te papa tākaro o Carlaw, hei ako i ngā Māori me ngā Pākehā ki ngā hua o te Tiriti. I ngā tau tōmuri ake o te tekau tau atu i 1960 tae atu ki ngā tau tōmua atu o te tekau tau atu i 1970, kua tupuheke haere kē nei tōna ora. Nō te whakawhiwhinga i a ia ki te tohu CBE i te tau 1974, i puta ai tana kupu ki te Auckland Star , kua mutu āna mahi i te ao tūmatanui.

He aha hoki! I te tau 1975, ka whakakotahi ētahi rōpū Māori ki raro i te maru o Te Rōpū o te Matakite, ki te ārai i ngā mahi hokohoko whenua Māori. Rere ana te tono ki a Whina hei ārahi i a rātou. Whakaae ana ia, me te kōrero anō me tīmata ake te hīkoi mai i Te Hāpua i Te Hiku-o-te-Ika ki te Pāremata i Pōneke, hei tino whakaatu i te kaha hiahia o te Māori ki te pupuri i ōna whenua me ana tikanga, me te whakahiko ake i te Māori me te Pākehā hei tautoko i te kaupapa. Otirā, ko te whānautanga mai tēnā o te hīkoi mō ngā whenua Māori, nō ngā marama o Hepetema me Oketopa o taua tau i whanake ai. Kua tata ki te waru tekau tau te pakeke o Whina i taua wā, mārake ana te kitea ōna i roto i ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te ao Māori haere ake nei; hoi anō te āhua nei ko ia i te kei o te waka. Ko te mea whakahirahira rawa atu i kite ai te tini mano i taua hīkoi e takahi ana i te huarahi, he mea kite rānei i runga i te pouaka whakaata, ko te rangatira kē nei o te momo ārahi mai a te kuia rerehe nei i te hīkoi, ā, ahakoa te whatiwhati o te reo, mārō tonu tana whakatakoto i ngā take.

Ko te taumata o taua hīkoi, ko te ārahi atu a Whina i te rima mano tāngata ki runga i te papa o te Whare Pāremata i te 13 o Oketopa. Tukua ana e ia he pepa whakamaumahara nā ngā kaumātua rua rau e pā ana ki te mana tangata, me te petihana nā te ono tekau mano tāngata i hāina, ki te Pirimia, ki a Bill Rowling. Kore rawa i pēnei te tika o ngā mahi o muri mai i te hīkoi. Ahakoa ngā tohutohu atu a Whina, nōhia ake ana te papa o te Pāremata e tētahi rōpū ono tekau te maha, e rua marama te roa i rō tēneti e noho mai ana i te noho a te māngai nei. Whakaititia ake anō hoki ngā tāpaetanga kōrero i tukua atu e Te Matakite ki ngā komiti whiri a te Pāremata, i ngā mahi taupatupatu noa a ngā rōpū nei. Otirā, ko te whakahaere ia o te hīkoi ka noho tonu hei tohu i te kaha me te mana o Whina, hei tohu whakatairangi i te ora haere ake o te Māori i taua wā me ngā tau whai mai.

Mau tonu ngā mahi i whakairohia ake e Whina o te tau 1975 ki roto i ngā whakaaro o te motu, ā mate noa ia. I a ia ka mahi tonu i ana kaupapa whakahaere i ngā mahi o te rā whakanui i te Tiriti o Waitangi me ngā hui a te Rōpū Wāhine Toko i te Ora, mau tonu te whakahua a te hunga tā kōrero i tō rātou īngoa mō ngā mema tūāpapa katoa o te rōpū nei, arā, i Te Whaea o te Motu. Nō te tau 1981 a ia i whakawhiwhia ai ki te tohu o te kahurangi, ki te DBE, ā, ka tae nei ki te tau 1991 ka whakaurua atu a ia hei mema mō te Tohu o Aotearoa (Order of New Zealand). Nō te tau 1990, i rangona, i kitea ia e te tangata, kātahi nei ka pērā te nui i tana kōrerotanga i ngā whakataetae tekau mā whā o te Tōpūtanga Iwi (Commonwealth Games) i Tāmaki-makau-rau i te marama o Hānuere o taua tau. Ko tana kōrero i taua rā, i noho tonu hei kōrero māna tae noa ki tōna pahemotanga, arā, kia maumahara te hunga katoa, i hainatia te Tiriti kia noho iwi kotahi ai a Aotearoa.

Ko te āhua o tāna kawe i te mana rangatira, he mea whakatauira mai e ana kaiwhakaako, i a ia e tamariki ana. Kāore i tino tau tana noho i te whakapaunga o te rau tau rua tekau, nā te mea i roto i ngā whakahaere katoa, ka riro kē nei mā te rōpū hei whakatau, ā, kāore e neke he kaupapa kia āta oti rā anō te rangahau, te tuhi me te whakarite i te utu moni o te whakahaere. Ki a ia, ki mua kē ia hautū ai, waiho mā te ranga wairua e whakaneke te mahi. Koinei te tauira i puta ai i a ia ngā kaupapa huhua i te nuinga o tōna wā, ēngari mahue kē mai ana hei take whakapāwerawera kē i a Te Rarawa me Panguru i te mutunga o ōna rā.

Nō te tau 1983 i hoki atu ai a Whina ki Te Hokianga. Otirā, nō te 26 o Maehe o te tau 1994, i mate mai a ia i raro i te maru o tōna maunga, o Panguru, te wāhi i whānau nei ia, iwa tekau mā waru tau ki mua. Kitea ana te tangi o te motu i te tokomaha o ngā tāngata i tae ki tōna tangihanga, me te tini anō i runga pouaka whakaata e mātakitaki atu ana.

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Michael King. 'Cooper, Whina', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2000. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/biographies/5c32/cooper-whina (accessed 19 March 2024)