Indeed, kanshi was accorded a higher place than the native waka form until the Kokin Wakashū collection was published in 905. Even before the early Heian period, the word shi (詩) meaning "poetry" was automatically understood to refer to kanshi, while the character 歌 (ka/uta) of waka 和歌 referred to Japanese poetry proper.
Indeed, kanshi occupied a superior position than native waka until the Kokin Wakashū collection was released in 905. Even earlier, during the Heian period, the term "shi" (poem) naturally implied kanshi, whereas the character "ka/uta" referred to Japanese poetry exclusively.