Te Wananga (The Forum, 1874-1878) was edited by John White, former secretary to Governor Grey and Native Land Court interpreter. He collected oral traditions during the 1840s and 1850s from which was published The Ancient History of the Maori.

The intention of the newspaper was expressed in the first issue: ‘He Perehi tenei mo te Motu katoa, mo nga tangata maori, kua huaina tona ingoa ko te Wananga o nga iwi katoa inaianei...hei ritenga ia mo te Perehi e huihui ia tatou ki te whakaaro kotahi, koia i huaina ai kia te Wananga, no te mea, mo tatou katoa tenei taonga’ (5 August 1874: 1) (This is a Press for the whole Island, for Maori people, it has been entitled Te Wananga for all the present day tribes...in the manner of the Press it will bring us to a consensus of opinion, hence its title Te Wananga, because it is an asset for us all).

The organisation and cost of the newspaper was reached by agreement in submissions from the Maori committee of each district (10 October 1874: 18).

The newspaper aimed to: ‘...do justice to both races; allay any irritation that may arise; and engender mutual feelings of forbearance and goodwill./Ko ta matou hiahia kia puta te pai ki nga iwi katoa o enei whenua, ahakoa Maori, ahakoa Pakeha, a kia hore ai he amuamu a aua tangata kia ratou.’ (7 August 1875: 124).

‘A newspaper owned, printed and published by Maori people ....We shall be glad to receive information from all the tribes - the earliest and most reliable news - the localities where the Government or private persons may either be purchasing or leasing lands; to answer, according to the best of our ability, any reasonable questions; and be willing to ventilate any grievance, and afford by means of the publicity it will obtain, our best efforts for its redress/Ina hoki na te Maori tenei Nupepa i mahi....A e pai ana kia tuhituhi korero mai nga iwi katoa ki te Nupepa nei. I nga korero o a ratou kainga e noho ai. A o nga korero hoko whenua, mo nga utu whenua a Te Kawanatanga, a nga Pakeha ranei. A ki te mea ka pataia mai a matou whakaaro, ka utua aua patai, ki ta te tika i ako mai ai kia matou. A e pai ana ano kia tukua mai nga kupu o nga mea e pouritia ana e nga iwi Maori, a ka taia e matou hei titiro ma te tokomaha. A e aro atu ano matou ki aua mea, kia puta ai he ora ma nga tangata e mahia hetia ana, e nga he o te ao nei (ibid.).

It was associated with the Repudiation (of land sales) Movement of Hawke's Bay, and was highly critical of Sir Donald McLean's policy as represented in the pages of Te Waka Maori. John Sheehan, who was a leader of the Repudiation Movement and member of the party opposed to the government, was involved in the production of Te Wananga. In 1877, with the change of government, he became the new Native Minister.

The newspaper ceased publication due to lack of financial support: ‘Engari ko te Wananga i maumau ake ano, a i muri tata iho ka mate i te hemo kai, kaore i whangaia e te Iwi Maori ki te kai’ (Aotearoa, 4 June 1892: 1) (The Wananga wasted away; and soon afterwards died of hunger; the Maori tribes did not give it sustenance).

For further information about the newspaper, see: P Parkinson and P Griffith, Books in Maori (Auckland: Reed, 2004), S19, pp. 772–774; K Sinclair, Kinds of Peace (Auckland: Auckland University Press, 1991), pp. 118–120; and references in Rere Atu, Taku Manu! edited by J Curnow, N Hopa and J McRae (Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2002), especially L Waymouth, ‘Parliamentary Representation for Maori’, pp. 153–173.

The National Library would like to thank Gail Dallimore for providing information used in essays about Maori newspapers.