Hana Mere Te Hemara (16 February 1940 – 10 October 1999) was a prominent Māori activist and leader.
Hana Te Hemara | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hana Mere Te Hemara 16 February 1940[1] Puketapu, Bell Block, New Zealand |
| Died | 10 October 1999 (aged 59)[2] Auckland, New Zealand |
| Other names | Hana Mere Jackson |
| Known for | Māori activist |
| Spouse | Syd Jackson |
| Children | 2 |
Biography
editTe Hemara, of Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Raukawa descent, was the seventh of 12 children,[1] born in Puketapu and educated at the Waitara Convent.[3][4][5]
She grew up in Mangakino where her father worked on the dams at Karapiro and Mangakino[5] Later she worked as a telephone operator in various places[5][1]
Te Hemara started studying at the University of Auckland in 1969[1] at the age of 30 to study politics[5] and New Zealand history.[3] Actively involved with Ngā Tamatoa.[5] She strongly supported Tino Rangatiratanga, the revival of the Māori language, and the Māori protest movement in general.[5][2][1][3]
In the 1970s Te Hemara was one of the founding members of Ngā Tamatoa, a Māori activist group.[3][6] The group organised protests at Waitangi.[7]
On 14 September 1972, Te Hemara along with Lee Smith, Rawiri Paratene and Syd Jackson[8] presented a petition of over 30,000 signatures to parliament challenging the politicians to prioritise saving Te Reo Māori.[3][9] This led to the day being declared Māori Language Day. Three years later, it was expanded to Māori Language Week.[5][9][3][1][2][8][10]
In 1979, Te Hemara joined the Māori Affairs Department with the Māori Language Commission, a result of her work.[11][2] She formed the first Māori Business and Professional Association in 1980 and organised Te Kopu Designers' Award for Māori designers in 1984.[3][9][2]
Te Hemara married Syd Jackson in 1961. Together they raised two children.[5][3] She died in Auckland on 10 October 1999, aged 59.[1][2][11]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Potter, Tony (17 October 1999). "Pacifist a weaver of people". Sunday Star-Times. p. A11.
- ^ a b c d e f Berry, Ruth (14 October 1999). "Activist gave voice to case for land and te reo Maori". Dominion Post. p. 5.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "125 Extraordinary New Zealand Women". Our Wāhine. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ Tolerton, Jane (21 December 1993). "Interview with Hana Te Hemara". Department of Internal Affairs. National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Bridget Underhill. "Hana [Jackson] Te Hemara". Kōmako. Toi Māori Aotearoa. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ Bielenberg, Aliosha (22 December 2017). "The Polynesian Panthers and Negotiations of Blackness" (PDF). Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ "A brief history of Waitangi Day". The New Zealand Herald. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Today marks 43 years since Māori language petition". Māori Television. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ a b c "1945–1978 Language under threat". Te Tai. Te Manatū Taonga – Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ McCaffery, John (27 July 2010). "Revitalising Te Reo Māori – a language activist reflects on how far we have come". University of Auckland. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Maoridom mourns top activist". The New Zealand Herald. 30 June 2000. Retrieved 28 June 2021.