Supporting 75 years of wāhine Māori leadership
Te Tumu Paeroa was proud to support the 75th Anniversary National Conference of Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toko i te Ora, the Māori Women’s Welfare League, held in Tāmaki Makaurau from 7 to 11 October 2026.
The conference theme, “Whakamaua te Aho Matua: Weaving the Past, Present and Future,” reflected both the legacy of the League and the responsibility of current generations to carry that kaupapa forward.
A legacy spanning 75 years
The Māori Women’s Welfare League has been a significant voice for wāhine Māori and whānau since its inaugural national conference in Wellington on 25 September 1951. Eighty-seven delegates representing 187 branches gathered for that first conference, where a national executive was established and Dame Whina Cooper was elected the League’s first president. Te Puea Hērangi was its first patron.
From its earliest years, the League worked across issues affecting the wellbeing of Māori, including housing, health, education, employment and child welfare. Over subsequent decades its mahi continued to evolve, while maintaining its focus on advocating for Māori people and strengthening whānau and communities.
Alongside being the League’s foundation president, Dame Whina Cooper is also one of Aotearoa’s most recognised advocates for the retention of Māori land, famously leading the 1975 Māori Land March from Te Hāpua to Parliament.
That connection between wāhine leadership, whānau and whenua made the 75th anniversary a particularly meaningful kaupapa for Te Tumu Paeroa to support.
Kaimahi interacting with attendees at our stall.
A shared connection through whenua
For Te Tumu Paeroa, supporting the conference was an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the League and connect kanohi ki te kanohi with wāhine Māori, whenua owners, trustees, rangatahi and whānau from across Aotearoa. Our kaupapa for the event centred on wāhine, whenua, whānau leadership and legacy.
Whenua carries the footsteps of our tūpuna, anchors our identity and provides a place for our mokopuna to stand. Dame Whina’s leadership reminds us of the extraordinary power of wāhine Māori to stand for our Māori people, to challenge injustice and to protect what must be handed on to those who follow.
At our stand, kaimahi supported whānau with whenua enquiries, helped owners better understand their whenua connections and next steps, and shared stories from wāhine whose experiences demonstrated different relationships with whenua Māori.
An interactive tree invited attendees to share whakaaro and imagery about the connection between wāhine and whenua. By the end of the event, 129 attendees had contributed a leaf to the tree.
The conference also created space to celebrate the next generation. The Ngā Pū Kōrero o Āpōpō youth speech competition showcased the talent and confidence of rangatahi, with Te Tumu Paeroa Pou Tirohanga Ben Matthews serving as one of the competition judges.
Weaving the kaupapa forward
Dr Charlotte Severne closed the Saturday session with a kōrero focused on leadership, whenua Māori and the importance of decision-making that keeps future generations in mind.
The 75th anniversary was an opportunity to recognise generations of wāhine who have carried kaupapa, advocated for change, strengthened their communities and created pathways for those coming behind them.
For Te Tumu Paeroa, supporting the conference also reaffirmed something at the heart of our own mahi: whenua is not simply something to administer. It carries whakapapa, identity and connection between generations.
As the conference theme reminded us, Whakamaua te Aho Matua asks us to hold fast to the foundational thread while continuing to weave together the past, present and future.
Dr Charlotte Severne, supported by kaimahi on stage during her speech.