Dame Whina Cooper was a courageous maori woman who fought for woman to be able to speak on the marae.

Dame Whina Cooper was a courageous and talented maori woman who fought for women to have a say on what is going on for the Maori people in NZ.

We found out that Dame Whina Cooper was first christened Joseph when she came into this world lifeless as a new born child. Her father sprinkled holy water on her to baptise her thinking that she was already dead. But guess what?

Immediately the holy water touched her skin she wailed out a loud cry. Then they had realised their big mistake which was, that she was in fact a girl not a boy. What a trickster Whina turned out to be? we all thought.

Dame Whina Cooper was a brave maori woman who was nominated by the maori community to address how maori women were not given equal rights as men to speak on the marae. It was  her uncle who had recognised that she was a talented speaker and could also inspire the women to fight for equal rights. She was also a spiritualist who had special healing powers to heal sicknesses and cure diseases among the maori people in her hometown. She also had divine spiritual vision to see into the future. She often saw visions of dead people who had passed away many years ago.

She grew up and married and lived in a quiet place in the bush area. She coached the rugby team of women and that was not a thing usually done at that time in NZ. She spoke about things that had to be done to improve the poor housing conditions of maori  people who got sick in their damp houses. She also said that the poor maori people should be allowed to go live in the empty state houses that were already built in the towns.

Here is our brainstorm on Dame Whina Cooper and the things she said and did to fight a courageous battle on behalf of women's rights in a male dominated/ruled country at that time. Way to go Whina Cooper! we  all cheered for this brave old woman.