History, Te Reo Māori, Media Studies and Social Studies students enjoyed a private screening of Whina on Tuesday afternoon.

Each curriculum area is looking at content where Dame Whina Cooper’s life and actions are an important influence. For example, in Year 11 History we have been looking at Wāhine Toa - strong women who have contributed to social change in NZ. These have included Nancy Wake, Hēni Te Kiri Karamū, Kate Sheppard, Ettie Rout and culminating with Dame Whina Cooper. (Check out the Wāhine Toa wall outside S54!) Media Studies will be looking at the representation of Māori in different forms of media with Year 12 focussing on Aroha Bridge.

The movie was a tale of Dame Whina Cooper’s life interspersed with her leading the 1975 Land March to protest the ongoing and huge loss of Māori land since the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi with the tagline “Not one acre more”. It was noted by the students the huge struggles and roadblocks in the life of Dame Whina, yet she always worked hard to do what was best for all people in Aotearoa. She knew that action and organisation of the people would achieve more than talking about it and called for the need to “get organised”. It was great to see some of the primary evidence of the actual Land March incorporated throughout the movie.

It was wonderful to see students from all year levels come together to learn about such a significant figure in Aotearoa’s history from Year Nine Te Reo Māori students to Year 13 Media Studies students.

A big thank you to Craig at Rialto Cinemas for having us and to the staff who accompanied us down.

If you haven’t seen the movie, we highly recommend it!