Over half the people interviewed had been strapped or beaten for speaking Maori as school children. This does not seem to have stopped anyone from speaking Maori, but it may haven led some people to believe that it was better to speak English. One of the people interviewed said that Maori as a language for everyday use was not what it used to be: more and more of the young people could now speak only English. This person, a fluent speaker of Maori, would now rather speak English. So did some other people who explained that it was quicker and easier to put ideas and thoughts into English than it was into Maori.
Te Tai Tokerau | Northland | Whangārei | 1970-79 | 5% of Māori children can speak te reo. (1970-75) | Story is by tangata whenua
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