King Pōtatau by Pei Te Hurinui

An Account of the First Māori King

This history of Pōtatau Te Wherowhero details all the momentous events of Te Wherowhero's life from about 1775 to his death in 1860, including his status as Lord of the Waikao and the famous battles and conflicts with other tribes, the raising up of Pōtatau as the First Māori King, and Mana Motuhake, the Māori Kingship, set apart as the symbol of the spiritual and cultural life of the Māori.

This work challenges the allocation of responsibility and blame for the events that led up to the wars of the 1860s and the Māori King Movement. Pei Te Hurinui argues that the wars coincide with, rather than developed from, the establishment of the Māori King.

Tainui elders, now passed away, contributed much to the book, as did the author's access to the valued records of the Kahui Ariki, granted to him by the late Princess Te Puea. The many whakapapa and waiata he included in the history draw upon these contributions and records.

The original edition of King Pōtatau be Pei Te Hurinui was published by the Polynesian Society in 1959. It has been widely sought after and out of print for some time. In 2006 the late Māori Queen, Queen Te Ata-i-rangi-kaahu, expressed a wish that the Polynesian Society consider publishing a second edition of this important work. After the Queen's death later that year, the Society sought approval for this new edition from the present Māori King, King Tūheitia, and this was gladly given.

The integrity of the original work has been carefully preserved in editing and designing the new edition.