2025 not only marks the 50th anniversary of Dame Whina Cooper’s hīkoi but we also celebrate the 130th anniversary of her birth!
In 1975 a 79-year-old Whina Cooper led a famous hīkoi for positive change, uniting thousands of Māori and Pākehā to address injustices, and her mana and determination continue to inspire us today. The hikoi began with about 50 people and swelled to 5000 marchers by the time they reached Parliament, where a petition signed by 60,000 people was handed to then Prime Minister Bill Rowling.
WHINA is the story of the beloved Māori matriarch who worked tirelessly to improve the rights of her people, especially women. Flawed yet resilient, Whina was a woman formed by tradition, compelled by innovation, and guided by an instinct for equality and justice whose legacy as the Te Whaea o te Motu – Mother of the Nation – was an inspiration to an entire country.
