Hēni Hoana Tōpia
Mereana Tōpia, better known as Maria, and her daughter Hēni Hoana or Jane Tōpia, were outstanding leaders in their local communities. Among their many activities they fostered the practice of traditional Māori arts and crafts.
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Hēni Materoa Carroll
Hēni Materoa Carroll had achieved remarkable recognition for her advancement of Gisborne and of its people. Her quiet influence had transcended racial divisions and her mana was acknowledged by Māori and Pākehā alike.
Hariata Whakatau Pitini-Morera
Hāriata Whakatau Pītini-Morēra was the most important leader of Ngāti Kurī, a founding hapū of Ngāi Tahu in the South Island.
Emarina Manuel
Ngāti Kahungunu; typist, teacher, Māori welfare officer, community leader
Carmen Tione Rupe
Carmen Rupe was a trailblazing transgender woman and entertainer, a larger-than-life personality, sex worker, and celebrated LGBTIQ+ icon. Proprietor of several notorious Wellington nightspots and one-time mayoral candidate, she pushed the boundaries of Wellington nightlife and both entertained and outraged New Zealanders during the 1960s and 1970s. The most visible transgender New Zealander of her time, she used her celebrity to advocate for LGBTIQ+ rights. She was well-known for helping homeless people and others in need.
Betty Wark
Whāea (mother) Betty Wark worked with ‘at risk’ Māori youth in Auckland for more than 30 years. The product of a difficult childhood, she struggled to provide a family environment to many young people whose lives had been destabilised by mid-twentieth century Māori urbanisation. At Arohanui, the hostel she co-founded and operated, young Māori found a bed, a hot meal, help with addiction, and the prospect of education and reconnection with a resurgent Māori culture.
Arihia Kane Ngata
During the First World War Ngāti Porou leaders encouraged their young tribesmen to enlist in the Māori contingents. Arihia played an important role, organising fund-raising events and providing hospitality to the young recruits. She was a central figure at hui in support of Apirana Ngata’s early economic development schemes, and also at the large gathering at Waiomatatini in February 1917 when the decorative carvings and tukutuku panels in Te Wharehou were unveiled. Those present contributed over £3,000 to help with expenses, but Ngata persuaded the donors to put the money towards the establishment of the Māori Soldiers’ Fund. In 1918 she was made an MBE for her work during the war. In the post-war period, Arihia provided lodging for young men from other tribes who came to learn sheepfarming skills from Ngāti Porou. They often stayed for months at a time, pending placement on a sheep farm by Ngata when he returned from Wellington. Arihia embraced them all as part of her wider family.
Ana Matawhāura Hato
By singing Māori songs in front of tribal audiences and tourists she developed sophistication and confidence as a soprano. Although unable to read music, she was noted for her accurate pitch. When Ana was 16 she was invited to join the concert party of Guide Rangi (Rangitiaria Dennan). Her reputation grew and she became much sought after as a soloist.
Witarina Te Miriarangi Harris
At the time of her death, Witarina Harris was described by politician Tariana Turia as a ‘cherished kuia of Ngāti Whakaue o Te Arawa waka; darling of the silver screen; and one of Aotearoa’s original movie stars’.
Te Ao-kapurangi
Descended from Tamatekapua of Te Arawa canoe and from Hoturoa of the Tainui canoe, she was a woman of mana, who belonged to Ngāti Rangiwewehi and Tapuika hapū. (The Māori word mana has many meanings, including authority, charisma, prestige, integrity, spiritual power and strength.) T