The idea of Moriori arriving earlier and being vastly distinct from Māori was widely published in the early 20th century. Crucially, this story was also promoted in a series of three articles in the "School Journal" of 1916, and the 1934 A. W. Reed schoolbook "The Coming of the Maori to Ao-tea-roa"—and therefore became familiar to generations of schoolchildren. This in turn has been repeated by the media and politicians. However, at no point has this idea completely dominated the discussion, with the academic consensus slowly gaining more public awareness over the 20th century.