“Landy Sisters” – Dianne Landy & Michelle Uriarau (Mana Wāhine Kōrero)

The Landy Sisters refers to Dianne Landy and her sister (and close ally) Michelle Uriarau, co-founders of Mana Wāhine Kōrero (MWK). MWK is an indigenous Māori women’s group formed to oppose what they view as the appropriation of Māori culture by gender ideology. It is described as “the only indigenous gender critical organisation in Australasia,” dedicated to the safety of women, children, and the preservation of Māori language and history. Dianne “Di” Landy in particular has become an influential voice marrying gender-critical views with Māori perspectives. She argues that concepts like “gender identity” are a colonial imposition and clash with traditional Māori understandings of sex. Landy has publicly challenged academics and officials – for example, condemning the use of Māori terms to promote gender-neutral language. She has been interviewed on platforms like Reality Check Radio (a right-leaning outlet) where she discusses these issues. At the IPNZ summit, the Landy sisters spoke under the banner of Mana Wāhine Kōrero, bringing a wahine Māori voice to the stage to claim that radical gender theories are undermining both women’s rights and Māori culture. Notably, Di Landy’s speech at Unsilenced was described as both fiery and humorous, “had me cracking up,” according to one attendee. On X (Twitter), MWK’s account @MKorero identifies the group as “Wahine – Adult Human Female” and affirms it was co-founded by Dianne Landy and Michelle Uriarau. The Landy sisters have also engaged internationally; their work is in solidarity with groups like caWsbar in Canada (Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights) and other indigenous women’s alliances. They exemplify how Māori cultural arguments are being integrated into the broader anti-trans movement in NZ. While small in number, their group’s unique positioning garners media attention (e.g. Stuff and Te Papa press have covered MWK protests) and adds diversity to the otherwise Pākehā-dominated “gender critical” scene.