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Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko i te Ora Māori Women's Welfare League Inc.
Description
Name Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko i te Ora
Alternative NameMāori Women's Welfare League Inc.DescriptionFounded in 1951, Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko i te Ora (Maori Women’s Welfare League Inc.) is the only national charitable Maori women's organisation in Aotearoa. With over 130 peka (branches), its kaupapa is to connect communities through supporting the wellbeing of Māori women and their whānau. Its' motto is 'tatau tautau' (all of us united together). Members from all walks of life work on a voluntary basis across all sectors of Māori society, addressing a wide range of issues including housing, health, education, employment and coping with urban life. Since then, it has grown to provide a training ground for Māori women for example in leadership, family care, networking, business, organising, administration, policy making, and iwi development. (Tania Rei, 1993)
The Taumutu peka was founded in April 1954 (peka at Rapaki, Tuahiwi and Arowhenua were also formed around this time). In 1955 they were commended for their 'April Showers' project, where league parents were helped and provided with 'comforts', and the baby received a Post Office Savings Bank moneybox. Taumutu peka celebrated their second anniversary in the Sedgemere Hall on 6 April 1956, with a dance and social with home-made supper.
In 1956 they issued a remit to protect Māori supplies of eel in Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere against commercial fishermen. In March 1968 the peka made a remit of the national conference to having more mahika kai reserves for Māori to harvest tuna and kōura, as well as a remit for more Māori television programming on religion, arts and crafts and Māori culture. In May 1977 they made submissions about the reform of the court system.
Members also attended national conferences, and raised funds through annual raffles and in 1983 a 'Sweethearts of Yesterday' ball in Christchurch. This was attended by Ben Crouch, the Minister of Māori Affairs, and Bishop Vercoe as well as members from across Aotearoa. In December 1988 a van was purchased by the peka to take elderly people for outings, following a successful funding application to the New Zealand Lotteries Board.
Taumutu officers included long-standing president Mrs. Ruku Arahanga, and Mrs Ila Reita Young (nee Teihoka). Mr. Riki Ellison was the patron of the peka for many years.
Start Date1951
Alternative NameMāori Women's Welfare League Inc.DescriptionFounded in 1951, Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko i te Ora (Maori Women’s Welfare League Inc.) is the only national charitable Maori women's organisation in Aotearoa. With over 130 peka (branches), its kaupapa is to connect communities through supporting the wellbeing of Māori women and their whānau. Its' motto is 'tatau tautau' (all of us united together). Members from all walks of life work on a voluntary basis across all sectors of Māori society, addressing a wide range of issues including housing, health, education, employment and coping with urban life. Since then, it has grown to provide a training ground for Māori women for example in leadership, family care, networking, business, organising, administration, policy making, and iwi development. (Tania Rei, 1993) The Taumutu peka was founded in April 1954 (peka at Rapaki, Tuahiwi and Arowhenua were also formed around this time). In 1955 they were commended for their 'April Showers' project, where league parents were helped and provided with 'comforts', and the baby received a Post Office Savings Bank moneybox. Taumutu peka celebrated their second anniversary in the Sedgemere Hall on 6 April 1956, with a dance and social with home-made supper.
In 1956 they issued a remit to protect Māori supplies of eel in Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere against commercial fishermen. In March 1968 the peka made a remit of the national conference to having more mahika kai reserves for Māori to harvest tuna and kōura, as well as a remit for more Māori television programming on religion, arts and crafts and Māori culture. In May 1977 they made submissions about the reform of the court system.
Members also attended national conferences, and raised funds through annual raffles and in 1983 a 'Sweethearts of Yesterday' ball in Christchurch. This was attended by Ben Crouch, the Minister of Māori Affairs, and Bishop Vercoe as well as members from across Aotearoa. In December 1988 a van was purchased by the peka to take elderly people for outings, following a successful funding application to the New Zealand Lotteries Board.
Taumutu officers included long-standing president Mrs. Ruku Arahanga, and Mrs Ila Reita Young (nee Teihoka). Mr. Riki Ellison was the patron of the peka for many years.
Start Date1951Source: NZ History website https://nzhistory.govt.nz/women-together/maori-womens-welfare-league
Connections
PersonRiki Te Mairaki Taiaroa EllisonPlaceTaumutuSedgemereMore InformationRead more about the Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko i te Ora Māori Women's Welfare League Inc. their websiteRead about the 1956 remit by Taumutu peka to protect Māori interests in tunaRead about the second anniversary celebrations of the Taumutu peka in 1956Read about the history of Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko i te OraRead more about the Taumutu peka submission on the reform of the court system in 1977See an advertisement for the Taumutu peka fundraising 'Sweethearts of Yesterday' ball in 1983Read more about the 1968 Taumutu peka submissions on more Māori television, and more mahika kaiRead a report about the 'Sweethearts of Yesterday' ball in 1977Read about the 1988 funding application by the peka to purchase a van for the elderlySee the record for the oral history recording of Ruku Arahanga at the National LibraryRead about the 'April Showers' project byTaumutu peka in 1955
PlaceTaumutuSedgemereMore InformationRead more about the Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko i te Ora Māori Women's Welfare League Inc. their websiteRead about the 1956 remit by Taumutu peka to protect Māori interests in tunaRead about the second anniversary celebrations of the Taumutu peka in 1956Read about the history of Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko i te OraRead more about the Taumutu peka submission on the reform of the court system in 1977See an advertisement for the Taumutu peka fundraising 'Sweethearts of Yesterday' ball in 1983Read more about the 1968 Taumutu peka submissions on more Māori television, and more mahika kaiRead a report about the 'Sweethearts of Yesterday' ball in 1977Read about the 1988 funding application by the peka to purchase a van for the elderlySee the record for the oral history recording of Ruku Arahanga at the National LibraryRead about the 'April Showers' project byTaumutu peka in 1955 Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko i te Ora Māori Women's Welfare League Inc.. Selwyn Stories, accessed 19/04/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/6700
