Maori had probably stopped being the language for everyday use in the home and community one, or even two, generations ago. The people who spoke Maori all the time were usually the kaumatua. Although English had taken over from Maori as the everyday language in the household and community, the Maori language was still important in the culture and lives of most of the people we spoke to. Many of the parents were sorry they could not speak the language better in order to teach their own children in the home.
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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