Activist group Ngā Tamatoa emerged in the early 1970s to demand greater recognition for Māori issues and interests. Among these was that the Māori language should be taught in schools. A 30,000-signature petition supporting this aim was presented to Parliament in 1972 by Ngā Tamatoa member Hana Jackson.
Transcript
By the 1970s many Māori were in mourning over what they saw as a real threat to the existence of te reo. The threat was due in part to government policies including prohibiting te reo in schools and the pepper-potting policy where Māori families who moved to urban areas were predominantly homed in non-Māori suburbs. Aa campaign group Ngā Tamatoa fought back getting 30,000 signatures for a petition calling for courses in te reo and culture to be taught in schools. One member, Dr Ranginui Walker, says the petition presented to Parliament in 1972 helped to create a pool of teachers who could teach te reo.
Dr Walker: And that allowed adults who were Māori language speakers to go into teacher training for one year and start teaching in the schools.
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Image: Archives New Zealand, MA, W2459/193, 19/1/605 Part 5
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