Aotearoa, or the Maori Recorder

I whakaputaina Ko Aotearoa, The Māori Recorder rānei i Tāmaki Makaurau mai i 1861 ki 1862 (kua kitea e rua anake ngā putanga) He mea etita e Charles O B Davis. I kī ia i tukuna ōkawatia ana mihi i ētahi atu ara (Te Waka o Te Iwi me Te Whetū o Te Tau): ...engari kei te kōrero hāngai atu ki a koutou mā tō koutou ake Pūrere Tā ‘Aotearoa’ - I mua ake nei i haere taku mihi ki a koutou i runga i te taonga tangata: i nāianei e haere atu ana i runga i tō koutou taonga tupu, tō koutou taonga ake i a 'Aotearoa'…‘ (Hanuere, 1861: 21-22). Ko ngā kōrero o te tohu ko, ‘He mea tā i te Perehi o ngā Iwi Māori’ .

I te putanga tuarua he Ingarihi katoa ngā whārangi 1-16 i raro i te taitara The Recorder; kei te reo Māori ngā whārangi 17-32 i raro i te taitara Ko Aotearoa. I whakamāoritia ētahi kōrero, engari kaua ngā kōrero katoa i ia wāhanga.

‘I te tau 1857 ka puta te karanga, "Hapainga a Aotearoa te Perehi tā pukapuka mō ngā iwi Māori". Taringa rahirahi tonu ngā tini iwi ki taua karanga, ā, takoto ana ngā moni. Nā Ngāti Tipa ki mua. Whakataua mai ana ā muri e Ngati Paoa, e Ngati Tama-te-rā, e te Whakatōhea, e Whaingaroa, e Aotea, e Kāwhia, e Waikato katoa, e Mōkau, e Taupō, e Whanganui, e Heretaunga, e Wairarapa, e Tūranga, e Waiapu, e Whangaruru, e Kaipara, hāunga te whakaaetanga o ngā iwi kāhore anō i kohikohi. Ko ngā iwi i rere ki waho ko Ahuriri, ko te Wairoa, ko te Rarawa, ko tētahi taha o Ngapuhi’ (taua puka anō: 3).

Ko ngā taonga mō te tinana, kua oti;- ngā mīra, ngā kaipuke, ngā parau, ngā kāta, ngā hoiho, ngā kau, ngā hipi; ā, i tēnei takiwā i te tau 1860 ka oti te taonga mō te hinengaro - TE PEREHI (taua puka anō: 3).

Ko te whakahoki ki te perehi i tohua i tēnei reta i tuhia e Tōmairangi Papahia o Te Rarawa i Hokianga: ‘Kua kite au i te Perehi e rongo nei tātou, hari ana tōku ngākau, me whakaaro tātou nā tātou hoki tēnei’ (taua puka anō: 21).

I kaha te whakahē a te niupepa i ngā mahi a te Kāwanatanga me tana pakanga mō te whenua te take i Taranaki. 

Mō ētahi atu kōrero, tirohia P Parkinson me P Griffith, Books in Māori (Tāmaki Makaurau: Reed, 2004), S10, wh.754-755. 

E hiahia ana te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa ki te mihi ki a Gail Dallimore mōna i tuku kōrero mai i whakamahia i roto i ngā tuhinga roa mō ngā niupepa Māori.

Ko Aotearoa or The Maori Recorder was published in Auckland from 1861 to 1862 (only two issues have been seen). This paper was edited by Charles O B Davis. He notes that his greetings were formerly sent through other channels (Te Waka o Te Iwi and Te Whetu o Te Tau):’...but now I communicate directly with you through your own Printing Press 'Aotearoa' - I mua ake nei i haere taku mihi ki a koutou i runga i te taonga tangata: i naianei e haere atu ana i runga i to koutou taonga tupu, to koutou taonga ake i a 'Aotearoa'…’ (January, 1861: 21-22). The imprint on the title page reads, ‘He mea ta i te Perehi o nga Iwi Maori’ [Printed by the Press of the Maori People].

In the second issue pages 1-16 are all in English under the title The Recorder; pages 17-32 are all in Māori under the title Ko Aotearoa. Some but not all of the contents of each section are translated.

‘I te tau 1857 ka puta te karanga, "Hapainga a Aotearoa te Perehi ta pukapuka mo nga iwi Maori". Taringa rahirahi tonu nga tini iwi ki taua karanga, a takoto ana nga moni. Na Ngatitipa ki mua. Whakataua mai ana a muri e Ngatipaoa, e Ngatitamatera, e te Whakatohea, e Whaingaroa, e Aotea, e Kawhia, e Waikato katoa, e Mokau, e Taupo, e Whanganui, e Heretaunga, e Wairarapa, e Turanga, e Waiapu, e Whangaruru, e Kaipara, haunga te whakaaetanga o nga iwi kahore ano i kohikohi. Ko nga iwi i rere ki waho ko Ahuriri, ko te Wairoa, ko te Rarawa, ko tetahi taha o Ngapuhi’ (ibid. : 3) [In 1857 the call went out, "Support the printing press Aotearoa for the Maori people". Many tribes heard that call and put down money. Ngati Tipa was first. After them came Ngati Paoa, Ngati Tama-te-ra, Whakatohea, then the people of Whaingaroa, Aotea, Kawhia, all of Waikato, and Mokau, Taupo, Whanganui, Heretaunga, Wairarapa, Turanga, Waiapu, Whangaruru, and Kaipara, and not counting the tribes in support who had not yet collected for it. Those who took no part are at Ahuriri, Te Wairoa, Te Rarawa and some Nga Puhi].

Ko nga taonga mo te tinana, kua oti;- nga mira, nga kaipuke, nga parau, nga kaata, nga hoiho, nga kau, nga hipi; a, i tenei takiwa i te tau 1860 ka oti te taonga mo te hinengaro - TE PEREHI (ibid. : 3) [The physical needs have been attained - mills, ships, ploughs, carts, horses, cattle, sheep; and now at this time, in 1860, for the mind we have - THE PRESS].

The response to the press is indicated in this letter written by Tomairangi Papahia of Te Rarawa at Hokianga: ‘Kua kite au i te Perehi e rongo nei tatou, hari ana toku ngakau, me whakaaro tatou na tatou hoki tenei’ (ibid. : 21) [I have seen the printing press about which we have heard and my heart rejoices. We must make a contribution, for this is our own press].

The newspaper strongly criticises the Government's actions in initiating war over land in Taranaki. 

For further information, see P Parkinson and P Griffith, Books in Māori (Auckland: Reed, 2004), S10, pp.754-755. 

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