Mariameno Patricia (Sonia) Walden née Kaipo

Mariameno was born in Waitara and was educated at Waitara and New Plymouth Girls’ High School. She trained as a midwife at Eltham and as a psychiatric nurse in Porirua. She was a night sister in Waimarino Hospital in Raetihi in the 1950s. In 1962 she married Peter Walden with whom she ran a taxi business. In 1970 she became a Māori Warden. Mariameno worked as a Māori Community Officer and worked in Māori Affairs in Porirua, Wellington and Wiri in South Auckland. She was a social worker with Social Welfare in Otahuhu in Auckland. She wrote a series of articles on at-risk families published in the Māori Wardens’ News. Mariameno was a leading figure in the Māori Wardens’ Association: she was president of the Wellington branch of the Association, was the Council delegate for the Ikaroa District, delegate for Auckland, and was National Treasurer for a number of years. She headed the Māori Wardens’ Trust which was a training programme operating five different initiatives. Her main thrust was to motivate women and at risk youth, and her contribution to women is demonstrated by the fact that since the 1980s women have always outnumbered men in the Māori Wardens’ Association. Mariameno also motivated people to pursue further education. She died on 28 Jan 1990.

Biographical sources

• Phone conversation with Peter Walden on 22 July 1998.