Mariameno Patricia (Sonia) Walden née Kaipo

Te Aupouri, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Toa, Ngāi Tahu

1932 - 1990



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.

    Non-fiction

  • "Wardens’ Report: What Makes a Good Warden?" Te Māori: The Official Journal of the New Zealand Māori Council 1.4 (May/June 1970): 21-23.
  • Walden outlines the work of Māori wardens and discusses the criteria for their appointment.
  • "Training Program for Māori Wardens." Māori Wardens News: The Official Publication of the N.Z. Māori Wardens Association 1.1 (Oct. 1980): 23.
  • Walden provides a discussion paper for Māori Wardens on interviewing and reporting techniques.
  • "Youth At Risk - Whose Responsibility?" Māori Wardens News: The Official Publication of the N.Z. Māori Wardens Association 1.1 (Oct. 1980): 45-53.
  • A study of at-risk youth with guidelines for parents, police, lawyers, local bodies, legislators and the press.
  • "Understanding Our Families: Can We Do Better? The Solo Parent Families." Māori Wardens News: The Official Publication of the N.Z. Māori Wardens Association 2.1 (Apr. 1981): 27-33.
  • The first of four papers on aspects of family life written by Sonia Walden from information provided by the Social Development Council. In this paper she discusses challenges faced by solo parent families.
  • "Report to the New Zealand Māori Wardens Executive Meeting 4th April, 1981." Māori Wardens News: The official Publication of the N.Z. Māori Wardens Association 2.2 (July 1981): 39-41.
  • Walden provides a report of the Turehou District Māori Wardens Association.
  • "Understanding Our Families: Can We Do Better? Large Families." Māori Wardens News: The official Publication of the N.Z. Māori Wardens Association 2.2 (July 1981): 47-51.
  • A discussion on large families which is the second of Walden’s series on the New Zealand family.
  • "Understanding our families: Can we do better? Step families." Māori Wardens News: The Official Publication of the N.Z. Māori Wardens Association 2.4 (Jan. 1982): 23.
  • An article on issues and concerns facing stepfamilies. This is the third of Walden’s series on the New Zealand family.
  • "Understanding our families: Can we do better? Families and violence. Part 1." Māori Wardens News: The Official Publication of the N.Z. Wardens Association 3.1 (Apr. 1982): 15-19.
  • The first of a two-part discussion on family violence.
  • "A Guide to Adoptive Parents." Māori Wardens News: The Official Publication of the N.Z. Wardens Association 3.1 (Apr. 1982): 21-22.
  • Walden provides guidelines for adoption and adoptive parents.
  • "Understanding Our Families: Can We Do Better? Families And Violence. Part 2. Learning To Live Without Violence." Māori Wardens News: The Official Publication of the N.Z. Wardens Association 3.3 (Nov. 1982): 23-29.
  • Second part of Walden’s essay on combating domestic violence.
  • "Children at Risk - Whose Responsibility?" Māori Warden News: The Official Publication of the N.Z. Māori Wardens Association 4.2 (June 1983): 21-27.
  • An article on child abuse in its various forms, the profile of abusers and signs to look for in detecting child abuse.