Propaganda, Power, and Punishment in Governor Grey’s two 1863 Proclamations

Introduction

As European settlement pushed further into the central North Island, many iwi began to fear for their land, authority, and independence. In response, they united and chose the first Māori King, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero. This new movement, the Kīngitanga, was centred in Waikato. At the time, the Waikato region was thriving. Māori were feeding settlers in Auckland and exporting goods to Australia and California. Their economic success and political unity made the region powerful and self-reliant.

During the first Taranaki War in 1860, King Pōtatau Te Wherowhero died, and his son, Tāwhiao, became the new King. Like his father, Tāwhiao was reluctant to become involved in the conflict. However, some Kīngitanga allies, such as Ngāti Maniapoto and Raukawa, chose to support Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke of Te Āti Awa, who was resisting the Crown’s attempt to purchase land at Waitara. The actions of these supporters were widely seen by colonial authorities as representing the position of the entire Kīngitanga.