Te Hokioi e rere atu na

Te Hokioi, e rere atu na 

The first newspaper in te Reo, printed by the Kīngitanga 1862 - 1863.

Blog by Paula Legel, Associate Curator, Heritage Publications.

^{Header image: Te Hokoi e rere atu na on display in Mana: Protest in Print exhibition.} 

Why were these Niupepa important?

In nineteenth century New Zealand, newspapers were the radio, television and internet of the day; covering local and international news, opinion pieces and letters to the editor, advertising and official notices, creative writing and serialised books. Owners could be businessmen, government, missionaries, political lobbyists and community groups. Two such newspapers, published in the Waikato, were Te Hokioi, e rere atu na, established by the Kīngitanga and Te Pihoihoi mokemoke i runga i te tuanui, established by the colonial government.

Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum holds the 15^th Pepuere 1863 issue of Te Hokioi e rere atu na, the newspaper printed by the Kīngitanga from 15 Hune 1862 until 21 Mei 1863. Te Hokioi e rere atu na (hereafter referred to Te Hokioi) translates as the War bird in flight to you, deriving from the name of a mythical bird that shrieked as an omen of war or pestilence.

The Museum’s copy of Te Hokioi was glued into the bound volume of the first four issues of Te Pihoihoi mokemoke i runga i te tuanui, (The lone sparrow on the roof top), with a photocopy of the fifth and last issue of Te Pihoihoi in an envelope at the back of the volume. The copy of Te Hokioi is a single sheet 23 x 45 cm in format and printed on both sides, using very fine paper. This copy had been folded for many years, so required stabilisation and conservation to enable the sheet to lie flat and remove further stress from the previous folding. Also bound into the volume is a handwritten transcription of a letter from Rewi Maniapoto to Governor Grey dated 25 Maehe 1863, accompanied by a translation in English.

Colonial response

Recognising the growing unity and strength of the Kīngitanga, the colonial government appointed John Gorst, a teacher at the mission school for Māori boys in Hopuhopu, as Civil Commissioner for the Upper Waikato. In February 1863, at the request of Governor George Grey, Gorst became the editor of a rival government newspaper to counter the articles by Te Tuhi and others writing in Te Hokioi.

Te Pihoihoi mokemoke i runga i te tuanui, (The lone sparrow on the roof top) was printed in Te Awamutu on a government printing press. The paper carried the Governor’s response to the Kīngitanga Movement and why the existence of a Māori King was not appropriate. In response Kīngi Tawhiao expressed anger at the derogatory and mocking style of Te Pihoihoi. Four issues of Te Pihoihoi had been disseminated when Rewi Maniapoto, leader of one section of the Movement, warned Gorst that he and his staff must desist and leave Te Awamutu. Gorst ignored the warning and, just as the fifth issue was printing, Rewi led a raid on the press, packed it up and dispatched it north out of the Waikato. Gorst was forced out of Te Awamutu and in 1864, returned to England. A tumultuous end for both papers at a time of invasion and conflict.