Dame Whina Cooper was a New Zealand kuia, who worked for many years for the rights of Māori, and particularly to improve the lot of Māori women. She is remembered for leading the 1975 Māori land march
Te Rarawa
…Hector Busby, navigator and waka (canoe or ship) builder Dame Whina Cooper, woman of mana, kuia, teacher, storekeeper and community leader Dr Jenny Te Paa Daniel, public theologian and the first lay woman appointed to head an…
Whina Cooper addressing the Māori land march at Hamilton in 1975