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.
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María Izquierdo
Izquierdo’s work opened up new possibilities for using symbols tied to Mexican traditions in a way other than to serve the nationalist discourse in art at the time. Izquierdo believed in art for art’s sake and wanted to go beyond the bounds of political art then. While the concept of art for art’s sake traced back to nineteenth-century European avant-gardes, in her context of post-revolutionary Mexico, this direction in art especially bucked the trend of using art as a propagandistic tool. Instead, art’s meaning, for Izquierdo, could be personal and variegated, not following the lines set by the politically powerful art establishment then.
Emarina Manuel
Ngāti Kahungunu; typist, teacher, Māori welfare officer, community leader
Rebecca Belmore
Canadian Rebecca Belmore has contributed to the international contemporary art world by developing a performance vocabulary for the representation of a (distinctly female) First Nations identity in art.
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’.
Anacaona
Anacaona was a Taíno cacica, (female cacique or chief), religious expert, poet and composer of Xaraguá, in what is now Haiti.