There is a note on Marie Wehipeihana in Te Ao Hou in 1967 which states she is from Wellington, and that she ‘represented New Zealand in the Miss Alimentation Internationale contest on 15 November last at the second Salon International de L’Alimentation, in Paris and took second place... She is the daughter of the late Mr Tupakaheke Wehipeihana, a former chief of the Ngāti Tukorehe, a sub-tribe of the Ngāti Toa tribe... [Her mother] Mrs Vera Wehipeihana, is an authority on Māori folklore, and is the author of several books on the subject, including one in verse. Miss Wehipeihana has some of her mother’s talents in this field and for nearly three years was a reporter and feature writer on the Evening Post, Wellington. She was educated in three towns - Taihape and Masterton and finally at Kapiti College at Raumati. In the past few years she has trained and performed as a dancer and singer and has specialised not only in the traditional action songs and dances of her people, but in national dances from several other countries.”
Biographical sources
- Phone call with Maree Wehipeihana on 20 July 1998.
- "Miss Alimentation Internationale Contest." in "People and Places." Te Ao Hou 58 (1967): 26-27.
Non-fiction
- Putea Pounamu: July Report. Produced for Te Ohu Whakatupu. Changes NZ: 31 July 1989. Whanganui-a-Tara [Wellington], N.Z.: Te Ohu Whakatupu, Te Minitanga Mo Nga Wahine/Ministry of Women’s Affairs, 1989.
- In this report of five chapters Wehipeihana writes that to meet the changing needs of Māori women in today’s society the Putea Pounamu programme was developed by Te Ohu Whakatupu in order ‘to monitor change, [and] its affects on Māori women and Māori communities and to empower women to manage change effectively.’ Wehipeihana writes that the four-year project began in 1987 and was designed in four stages of unit activities which would conclude in 1991. She outlines the various aspects of the programme which included identifying information and communication needs through hui and workshops; looking at decision making processes with reference to the He Wahine Toa management development programme organised by Ihi Consultants; and initial training hui in the Waitaha region, Waikato and Kaipara regions and phase two training hui at Te Wananga O Raukawa, Otaki. The report concludes with a chapter on future growth and direction objectives.