Many people we spoke with, especially the kaumatua, were worried that the Maori language would die out. Many of them had seen Maori becoming less and less the language for everyday use in the home and community, and more and more the language for ceremonies on the marae, as it mostly is today. Many of these people blamed themselves for the loss of Maori, as they had not taught their children - today's parents - the language. Nearly half the people interviewed said they had been strapped for speaking Maori as school children. This was one of the main reasons why they did not teach their own children the language. Some people thought that the fuss over Maori in schools now was just an attempt to cover up attempts in the past to wipe out the language.
Waikato | Taupo | 1970-75 | 5% of Māori children can speak te reo. (1970-75) | Story is by tangata whenua
Comments