At the time of the survey, three-quarters of the adults over 25 in Poroporo could speak Maori fluently. There were few speakers of Maori under 25, but a third of that age group understood Maori well. Two-thirds of the school-age children knew no Maori at all, and this was a big worry to many parents we interviewed. It was difficult to teach Maori to children in the home when most of the things that gave them pleasure - television, radio, comics - were in English. English was also the main language spoken in most households with children, although a lot of people in the community, especially adults, spoke Maori. However, more and more Maori language and cultural courses are starting up in schools, in the community and on local marae, and they are giving people a lot of hope that the language will not be lost.
Source: Read the full NZCER report here:
Te Moana-ā-Toi | Bay of Plenty | Whakatāne | 1970-79 | Story is by tangata whenua
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