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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 23. 23rd September 1973

"Rongo"

"Rongo"

A new newspaper is being produced in Auckland with an accent on Maori and Polynesian people. Tabloid (i.e. Salient size) in format, it will be called Rongo and will be distributed free or for 'koha' (donations) on a national basis.

The first issue will be about 24 pages and about fifteen thousand copies will be printed.

At this stage, it is not known how often Rongo will appear.

The word rongo is common to Maori and other Polynesian languages. It means to apprehend with the senses, or to hear. Also there is a deity Rongo who is god of peace and cultivation, and was associated with the bringing of the kumera.

Rongo aims to bring people closer together and to foster Polynesian languages, especially Maori. It will concentrate on Polynesian oriented articles, printed in those languages and in English. Rongo will run articles of social comment, poetry and prose.

People involved in producing the paper no longer feel they can rely on the European language press for fair coverage of Maori and Polynesian activitites. An example of this is the picture of Nga Tamatoa painted by the press — always as troublemakers, rarely as workers on maraes, in the courts as legal defence officers, or in fostering and running Maori language courses.

Articles and contributions, as well as orders, are being sought from all over the country for Rongo. The deadline for the first issue is September 25, and it will be out early in October Write to Rongo, c/o Box 47362, Ponsonby, Auckland.