Many people had, over the years, forgotten what Maori they once knew, for some this had happened at school, where Maori was forbidden or simply not spoken. For others, it had happened later on in life - perhaps with a move to a different district or to a city where not many people spoke Maori. Several people mentioned that moving to Hawke's Bay had caused them to lose their ability in Maori through lack of usage. One woman said how surprised she had been when she moved to Hawkes Bay and discovered that hardly anyone spoke Maori. This was summed up by one informant who commented: When everyone was brought up on the marae they could speak Maori but now that people are brought up in the cities they can't. Although such people are often keen to learn, their efforts are often futile.
Te Matau-a-Māui | Hawke’s Bay | Hastings | 1970-79 | 5% of Māori children can speak te reo. (1970-75) | Story is by tangata whenua
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