Te Waka Maori o Ahuriri 1863-1871: Commentary

Te Waka Maori o Ahuriri 1863-1871

The Maori Canoe of Ahuriri (Hawke's Bay)

Bibliographic Details    Background    Subject Matter    Availability

Bibliographic Details

Published: Napier, June 13, 1863 - May 23, 1871

350 x 220mm., 4 pages, double columns, all Maori, issued fortnightly, no illustrations except for the Royal Coat of Arms inserted in the title from Volume III, advertisements on the back page, subscription cost of 10 shillings per year to cover the wages of printers and interpreters. The imprint at the end reads, "He mea ta na Hemi Wuru i te whare ta o te Haaki Pei Herara, ki Nepia, i te Hatarei i nga rua wiki katoa - tena rua wiki, tena rua wiki". [Printed by James Wood at the Hawke's Bay Herald Office at Napier, on Saturdays every second week]. From the third issue the motto "Ko te tika, ko te pono, ko te aroha" [Justice, truth and love] was added to the masthead.

Although the editor is not named it seems likely that Sir Donald McLean was involved. The newspaper was published in Napier where he was the Provincial Superintendent, and issues were delayed in being published due to the editor's absence in connection with Māori land purchases (Williams, 1975: 81). McLean was also the Chief Land Purchase Commissioner for the Crown.

The last issue published under the title Te Waka Maori o Ahuriri was on May 23, 1871. In October 1871 control of the newspaper passed entirely into the hands of Government, and it became Te Waka o Niu Tireni (Item 17).

For further physical details refer to Herbert W. Williams, A Bibliography of Printed Maori to 1900, Item 367.

This paper is written in Maori.

Background

This Te Waka presents a pro-Government view.

The newspaper's name encapsulates the intention of the publication: Me Hoturoa o mua i to i tona waka, a Tainui, ki te wai i Hawaiki kia rere noa i te moana tauhou ki te rapu kainga mona i nga whenua ngaro, koia hoki matou ka kokiri i ta matou waka tiwai, Te WAKA MAORI O AHURIRI nei, ki runga ki te moana ngarungaru, i te moana tarewarewa noa, o te Whakaaro tangata - mana e rewa, mana e totohu (June 13, 1863: 1) [Just as Hoturoa of former times, who dragged his canoe Tainui to the water in Hawaiki and set sail over unchartered oceans in search of a home in unknown lands, so we too, launch our canoe, Te WAKA MAORI O AHURIRI, onto the choppy seas, the turbulent sea, of people's thoughts - for it to float or sink].

The following statement further elaborates that aim: Tetahi painga o te Nupepa penei, hei hono mo te Pākehā raua ko te Maori. He whakaputanga whakaaro ma tatou, tetahi ki tetahi....Inaianei e noho kuare noa ana te nuinga o te Pakeha ki nga whakaaro Maori, me te Maori hoki e noho kuare noa ana ki nga whakaaro o te Pakeha. Ka whai huarahi hei whakapuakanga i o tatou whakaaro, tetahi ki te reo o tetahi, katahi ia ka tupu he rongo pai kia tatou (ibid. : 1-2) [One of the benefits of a newspaper like this will be to repair the rift between Pakeha and Maori. It will express our thoughts to each other....Nowadays the majority of Pakeha are quite ignorant of Maori views, and the Māori too are quite ignorant of Pakeha views. It will be the means by which our views are aired, one to the other, then goodwill will grow between us].

Tetahi hoki, ma te Nupepa ka rongo ai te tangata Maori ki nga meatanga o ia wahi, o ia wahi, o te Motu nei....Ka mohio hoki ia ki te ritenga o nga utu o nga taonga katoa e hiahiatia ana e ia kia hokona i taua hoa Pakeha....Ka rongo ia ki te taenga mai o nga kaipuke, me te utanga o runga, me te whenua i rere mai ai...te panui i te matenga o ana rangatira, o ana tangata noaiho ranei. Ko te marenatanga Maori me te whanautanga hoki ka taia ano ki tenei nupepa, me nga hui, me nga aha atu (ibid.) [Another thing about the newspaper is that Maori people will hear of the events of every place on this island....and learn about the prices of everything which people may wish to purchase from the Pakeha....People will hear about the arrival of ships, their cargoes and where they sailed from....be notified about the deaths of chiefs and others. Maori marriages and births will also be notified in this newspaper, as well as meetings and other things].

Subject Matter

Content and subjects reported in this paper include:

  • hui at Pawhakairo, Turanga (Gisborne) to discuss tribal strategy in regard to warfare over land
  • fighting at Taranaki, Waikato and Opotiki
  • arrivals and departures of ships
  • news of births, deaths and marriages
  • hearing dates of land claims before the Maori Land Court with the claimants and boundaries of the blocks advertised
  • an article on Hauhau beliefs and customs
  • an account of Ngatuere
  • news from districts throughout New Zealand particularly concerning the land wars
  • waiata
  • lists of people killed or taken prisoner at battles such as Rangiriri
  • letters from runanga to the Governor about the Land Wars
  • the missionary Volkner's murder
  • an article about Paora Tuhaere.

Availability

This newspaper is on microfilm and microfiche. Original copies are held at:

Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington:

1863June 13-Dec. (June 27 not held)
1864Jan.-Dec. (Jan. 30 and Feb. 13 not held)
1865Jan.-Dec. (Jan. 14 not held)
1866Jan.-Dec.
1867Jan.-Dec.
1868Jan.-Dec.
1869Jan.-Dec.
1870Jan.-Dec.
1871Jan.-May 23

Auckland Institute and Museum Library:

1863Sept.-Oct.
1865April 1 and Aug.

Auckland Public Library:

1863June 13-July 11, Aug. 22 -Sept. 19, Nov. 14-Dec.
1864Jan.-March 19, May 14-28, June 11, July 23, Aug. 20, Sept. 17-Dec. (Nov. 19 and Dec. 3 imperfect)
1865Jan., Feb. 18-April 29, May 27-June 10, July 15, 29, Aug. 26-Dec.
1866Jan. 6, Feb. 3-Nov. 10
1867March 21, July 4-Dec.
1868Jan.-Feb. 2
1869Feb. 11-April 22, May 27, July 17-Dec.
1870Jan.-Aug. 30, Oct. 7-Dec.
1871Jan. 9-May 23

Auckland University Library:

Almost complete set of photocopies

Hocken Library, Dunedin:

1863June 13-1871 May 23

Wellington Public Library:

1870Aug. 30
1871Jan. 19-May 2.