A fair number of people told us they had been able to speak Maori in the past but had lost it over the years. The most common reason given for this was of moving from a predominantly Maori area to a non-Maori area. For many people, this happened when they started school, where English was the main language used, and where about two thirds of our informants were forbidden and/or punished for speaking Maori. Others living in Turangi found that although nearly half the population was Maori, not much Maori was spoken in the community and so they found it hard to maintain their language themselves.
Waikato | Taupo | 1970-75 | 5% of Māori children can speak te reo. (1970-75) | Story is by tangata whenua
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