This survey has shown that most adults in Wainuiomata spoke Maori well and understood it well. Many of them were brought up, and spoke the language, in Maori-speaking country areas (especially on the East Coast). When they moved to the city to look for work and 'a better life' for their children, they found that they couldn't always speak Maori if they wanted to be understood. Many parents believed that their children needed to know English better to survive in the Pakeha world, and English soon became the main language spoken in most homes. This meant that some people who spoke Maori fluently before forgot how to speak it, while the young people never had a chance to learnt to speak it. This is a great worry to many of the Maori people in Wainuiomata.
Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington | Lower Hutt City | 1970-79 | 5% of Māori children can speak te reo. (1970-75) | Story is by tangata whenua
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