June Mariu

Dame June Mariu DNZM CNZM QSM JP
Mariu in 2012
Born	Mabel June Hinekahukura Waititi (1932-06-01) 1 June 1932 (age 89) Wharekahika / Hicks Bay, New Zealand
Nationality	Māori people
Education	Queen Victoria School for Māori Girls, Teachers Training College
Known for	Community Leader
Spouse(s)	Joseph Mariu
Children	2
Relatives	Hoani Waititi (uncle) Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi (relative) Kahurangi Waititi (cousin) Rawiri Waititi (nephew) Taika Waititi (nephew)

Dame Mabel June Hinekahukura Mariu DNZM CNZM QSM JP (née Waititi, born 1 June 1932) is a New Zealand Māori community leader, teacher and former sportswoman.^[1] June is of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou and Pākehā descent. She has represented Aotearoa / New Zealand in two sporting codes. Netball as the first Māori captain of the National Side (now Silver Ferns) in 1960, and indoor basketball. June has also represented in softball regionally for Auckland and North Island teams. ^[2]Dame June was inducted into the Māori Sports Awards Hall of Fame in February 2014. ^[1] Between 1987 and 1990, she served as national president of the Māori Women's Welfare League.^[1] June was appointed a member of the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission in 2000 by the late Hon. Parekura Horomia.

In the 1985 Queen's Birthday Honours, Mariu was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for public services.^[3] In the 2006 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit presented by The Right Honourable Sir Anand Satyanand, for services to Māori and the community,^[4] and in the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours she was promoted to Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit presented by Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae, also for services to Māori and the community.^[5] She continues to inspire many people from the grassroots up.

June has had strong ties with the Kīngitanga through the first Māori Queen, the late Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, as well as through her iwi of Te Whānau a Apanui. She later became a member of the Tekau-Ma-Rua, a group of representatives from across the country, chosen by the current Māori King, Te Arikinui Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII Paki. ^[6]Dame June Mariu was chosen to serve as the first patron to NZ's largest Māori public health body, Hāpai Te Hauora Tapui back in 2014. She had the honour of being officially appointed by King Tūheitia. June was the representative for Hapai Te Hauora. Her relation Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi is also currently in this group as a companion member due to her work for the Kōhanga Reo.

Personal[]

June was born in Wharekahika / Hicks Bay on the 1st of June 1932. Her mother was Dorothy Waititi (née Tihore) of Wharekahika in Ngāti Porou, and her father was Manihera Waititi (older brother to Hoani Waititi) of Whangaparāoa / Cape Runaway in Te Whānau-ā-Apanui. June spent her first few years living in Wharekahika with her grandparents, her mother's parents. Patihana Tihore her grandfather was of Ngāti Porou descent, and Alice Tihore (née Gill) of Yorkshire, United Kingdom was her grandmother. When her grandmother passed away in 1937, June and her grandfather left Wharekahika to stay with her parents and younger brothers, Arthur and Winston, at Otamaroa, Whangaparāoa / Cape Runaway. June's hapū are Te Whānau a Kauaetangohia (Cape Runaway) and Te Whānau a Tūwhakairiora (Wharekahika/Hicks Bay).

June left her East Coast homeland at the age of thirteen to attend Queen Victoria School for Māori Girls, a boarding school facilitated by the Anglican Church, in Parnell, New Zealand.

After high school, June went onto a sporting career before settling down in West Auckland as a teacher and later a community leader.

June married her late husband, Joseph Mariu of Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga (a relative of the late Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton, The Most Reverend Max Mariu), at the now historical church in Raukokore in 1961. The two settled in Te Atatū North (now Te Atatū Peninsula) in West Auckland amongst many other Māori who left their rural homelands for an urban setting. In 1962, June and Joseph had their first daughter Alice Mariu. Three years later in 1965 their second daughter, Jonyne Mariu was born. She was named after June's uncle, well known educator Hoani Waititi.

June still lives in Te Atatū Peninsula with her daughters Alice and Jonyne, and three grandchildren, Hohepa, Jonyne-June and Arihia.

Sports[]

Netball[]

^[7]"June Mariu’s selection as the 22nd Silver Fern had historical significance for the New Zealand team. With the first team to be selected since 1948, the 1960 edition proved the turning point for Netball in New Zealand and with it, the start of the modern era for the sport in this country.

Playing under the recently-adopted international rules of seven-a-side, the 1960 Silver Ferns set off across the Tasman for a 15-game tour 22 years after their historic first-ever Test against Australia.

Elevated from the Auckland provincial team, shooter Mariu, 28, was named the Silver Ferns fifth captain and entrusted with leading a 10-strong team on their trailblazing mission.

It was the first national team to undertake a full scale tour, which included three Tests and 12 other games, the team from 1960 representing a new breed of player and laying the foundation for the game as we know it today.

Growing up in Hicks Bay on the East Coast, she was a natural athlete from early on and, as well as Netball, went on to become a national softball and indoor basketball representative.

Well suited to the playmaking role of goal attack, she had the distinction of becoming New Zealand’s first winning captain when the Silver Ferns prevailed 49-40 in the first Test, on the grass centre tennis court in Adelaide.

In mirroring the trans-Tasman rivalry that has long since continued, they lost the second Test in Melbourne 44-39 and suffered a heart-breaking 46-45 loss in the final Test.

On returning home, she married and retired from international Netball but her passion remained strong and she moved into coaching at school, Club and provincial level with great success while also becoming a Silver Ferns selector."

^[8]After her playing years she was appointed Auckland Netball coach where she masterminded the effective playing strategy of full court zone defence that lead her team to National Championship titles and can still be seen today to full effect in international netball play.

Dame June has coached some notable players over the years like Yvonne Willering and Te Aroha Keenan.

June has always dreamt that one day Aotearoa / New Zealand will finally have Māori Netball teams playing on a world stage, similar to the Māori All Blacks in rugby. She has always believed that "We are two nations, one country" in accordance to Tiriti o Waitangi. Māori or the Tangata Whenua, and Tauiwi or the Tangata Tiriti.

Indoor Basketball[]

Dame June represented the country in Indoor Basketball.

Softball[]

^[9]North Island Softball representative between 1956-1957.

MWWL[]

Dame June Mariu became the National President of the Māori Women's Welfare League in 1987 until 1990. Her predecessor was Dame Georgina Kirby, who started the Māori Women's Development Initiative (MWDI).

^[8]In 1987, following the publication of "Rapuora - Health and Māori Women" by past president Dr Erihapeti Murchie-Rehu, a partnership proposal based on Healthy Lifestyles for the prevention of cardio-vascular disease among Māori was accepted by the then Department of Health. Dame June Mariu lead the initiative as her commitment to making a healthy lifestyle difference for Māori women and their families using netball as the vehicle of change. Thus the beginning of Aotearoa Māori Netball Oranga Healthy Lifestyle (AMNOHL) in 1988. For many years she was the National Coordinator of Aotearoa Māori Netball. Through AMNOHL, Aotearoa has seen some of our best Māori players on the international stage. Players like Waimarama Taumaunu, Dame Noeline Taurua, Jenny-May Clarkson, and Temepara Bailey.

^[10]June was the President for 15 years of the Te Atatu Branch and Regional Secretary for the Tāmaki Makaurau Region for two years.

Both the MWDI and AMNOHL are two of the leagues most important assets, and still run to this day.

Other notable Past Presidents of the Māori Women's Welfare League: Dame Whina Cooper, Dame Mira Szászy, Dame Georgina Kirby, Dame Aroha Reriti-Crofts and Dame Areta Koopu.

West Auckland[]

In her time in West Auckland, Dame June taught at many schools before finally settling at Rutherford High School (now College) in Te Atatū Peninsula. She originally taught Health and Physical Education before being asked to take on Te Reo Māori instead. Some famous past students of hers include actor/comedian Pio Terei and ^[11]newly appointed Governor-General of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro. June was integral in establishing one of the very first mainstream school marae at Rutherford College, Te Kotuku Marae. Alongside many others, June has helped strengthen Te Reo Māori and Te Ao Māori in her community.

June was the founding chairwoman for the Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust, of which she is now an Honorary Board Member.

She also has strong ties to the Hoani Waititi Marae in Glen Eden alongside the likes of The Honourable Sir Pita Sharples. The marae was named after her late uncle. Before retirement, she spent her last working days as a lay advocate helping youth in the justice space at Hoani Waititi Marae. Namely the Te Kooti Rangatahi / Youth Courts. ^[12]Her nephew Kawana Waititi carved a pou for the marae.

June has had some notable members of parliament as her neighbours: The Honourable Tau Henare, Tukuroirangi Morgan and The Honourable John Tamihere.

References[]