People were worried that more and more people in the area, especially among the young, could not speak Maori. One person blamed the parents that few of the children could speak the language. Others blamed living and working in town where they met lots of people who spoke only English. Some, who used to speak Maori well, now said they could express their thoughts better in English. Half of the people bad been strapped at school for speaking Maori. Many of them were unwilling to teach their own children the language in case they were also punished in some way."
Te Moana-ā-Toi | Bay of Plenty | Whakatāne | 1970-79 | Story is by tangata whenua
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