40 years ago today 79-year-old Whina Cooper led thousands of marchers along the Wellington motorway and crammed onto the grounds of parliament. There were no banners or placards, just a white flag on a carved pouwhenua or land marker post. 50 people had left Te Hapua in Northland making the with 1,000-km walk to Wellington in 30 days. By the time they reached Wellington, the numbers had swelled to more than 5,000. Among them was Cyril Chapman, who carried the pouwhenua for much of the march. It was not allowed to touch the ground until land grievances were settled. Cyril Chapman shares his memories with other land march veterans at a free panel discussion at the National Library on 13 October 2015.
Listen
Listen to an interview with Dame Whina Cooper courtesy of Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision.
Māori Land March – Whina Cooper
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.
Gallery: The 1975 Land March
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand, must be obtained before any re-use of these images.