The title is based on a Māori proverb, ‘Herea te tangata ki te whenua’ or 'Bind the people to the land'. The life and story of land activist and noted Māori leader Whina Cooper. Compiled from extensive interviews which have also been retained in the sound archives.
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Whina Cooper talks about her early life and attitudes. Although best known for leading the Hikoi or Land March from Te Hāpua to Parliament in Wellington in 1975, Whina has been a key figure in multiple organisations and initiatives including the Māori Womens Welfare League and Māori Land Development.
Born at Te Karaka beside the Hokianga River (original landing place of Kupe) her midwife declared she was a still born boy so her father quickly baptised her Joseph, after which she was recognised as living and a girl so he changed her name to Josephine [Hohepine]. She became very close to her father and became his favourite.
Whina attended school and her father taught her genealogy at night after lights out. He was very interested in education and farming, and believed there was money to be made in the pākehā world. Since her father could not afford it, Sir James Carroll Dargaville offered to pay for Whina’s college education at St Josephs [Māori Girls’] College in Hawkes Bay, where after six years she passed her Proficiency.
Whina married Mr Richard Gilbert from Muru at twenty-three years of age. She describes him as a good-looking man, a surveyor who played the violin. She tells how she asked her father if she could borrow his launch to go and get married, then she borrowed a ring for the ceremony. Pungaru elders were not happy with the marriage as they had intended to choose a match themselves.
She and Richard had one boy and one girl. He became a supervisor for a Māori land development scheme under Sir Āpirana Ngata. Whina ran the local [Whakarapa] store for 18 years and learned a lot about importing and exporting goods but realised successful business was not possible amongst her people with too many I owe yous. She eventually sold up and pursued her interested in farming and Māori land development where she felt she would better contribute to raising up her people. Her husband died of cancer [in 1935].
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Whina talks about how people often complained that she took the role of men. She says she did her time with the Māori Womens Welfare, then pursued Māori land development and in her opinion women and land go together.
Whina explains how she and [Bill] Cooper, a land consolidation officer, were brought together through their Māori land scheme work which then developed into a romantic relationship. After a conference where Whina expressed her desire to be with [Bill], his wife consented and since they had no children said she would return to her own people. [Bill] left his wife everything and joined Whina with nothing “but his suit and himself”.
Returning to her people Whina prompted a hui at which she declared her intention to marry ‘Cooper’ and asked for their blessing. Her brother Peter was outraged that someone of her position within the tribe could think of marrying a married man. She describes how her loyal committee wahine protected her against the angry outbursts and tried to bring peace.
The Tokerau people remained “up in arms” about this union however so Whina and her children moved with Cooper to Kamo near Whangarei. They married in Otiria [1941] and had two boys and two girls. For a time they lived in remote Te Karaka (in the house she was born) where daily life was tough but which she accepted and considered as penance. Her interest in dairy farming developed.
Whina got seventy young Māori interested in farming and working on the development scheme, and became President of the Federated Farmers in Panguru. Following the death of her husband [in 1949] she moved to Auckland with her children. Although this move was against the wishes of her parish priest, she had the support of the Bishop of Auckland who saw Auckland having a greater need for her presence.
In 1950 Whina says she was elected Foundation President of the Māori Women’s Welfare League and left her children for six weeks to travel around New Zealand. On her return to Auckland she noticed how Freemans Bay was “loaded with people” and describes how she fought city drinking and rallied for housing developments. After an impromptu visit to parliament to ask for help Whina was formally permitted to manage a survey of Māori housing in Auckland. Whina’s achievements were recognised in 1953 when she was awarded an MBE.