[2] She spent much of her childhood in mission schools in Maketu and Auckland, becoming an assistant teacher at the Wesleyan Native Institution in Three Kings.

[2] When her parents moved back to Northland she followed, marrying Te Kiri Karamū, a Ngāti Rangiteaorere kauri gum digger, and living at Katikati.

[2][3] She was the only woman present at the Battle of Gate Pā (1864),[1] having stayed as she was recognised as a capable warrior, and to not leave her brother Neri behind.

[5] Signing her name as J. Foley, she wrote to the WCTU NZ president, Annie Jane Schnackenberg, in March 1897 to complain that the 200 members of the Rotorua area Unions had not been notified of the national convention that year in Christchurch.

[7] In 1898 she was featured in a WCTU NZ public meeting in Napier where she spoke about her loyalty to her brother as the reason she joined the rebel forces against the British during the wars.

Her report to the national convention of the WCTU NZ describing her work that previous year can be found in the White Ribbon April 1900 issue.