Before they went to school they had been able to speak Maori but because no one else spoke Maori there or, in some cases, because of the punishment they received for speaking Maori, they had gradually lost their knowledge of the language. These people were very supportive of the teaching of Maori in schools. Most of the people who felt this way said that the only way for the Maori language to be revived was if more young people learned to speak it . Some kaumatua in Tolaga Bay told us they made sure they always spoke Maori in front of their mokopuna so that these children would grow up hearing Maori.
Te Tai Rāwhiti | Gisborne | Matakaoa-Waiapu | 1970-79 | 5% of Māori children can speak te reo. (1970-75) | Story is by tangata whenua
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