English was also the main language spoken in the community. The people most likely to speak Maori were kaumatua over 45, but they had few chances to do so in Cambridge and Leamington, as most people there spoke only English. Some good speakers said that they only spoke Maori with close friends and family, or in their home area as speaking Maori in the town was looked down upon by some of the people there. Maori was most likely to be heard in ceremonies and ordinary talk on the marae. But even here many good speakers of Maori would use English especially when talking with those who did not understand much Maori. Certain religious services in the area were held partly or entirely in Maori, and for some people, especially kaumatua, private prayer was also in Maori.
Waikato | Waipa | 1970-75 | 5% of Māori children can speak te reo. (1970-75) | Story is by tangata whenua
Comments