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Story: Māori and television – whakaata

Te reo Māori petition, 1972

In this 1972 news footage, a petition asking for te reo Māori (the Māori language) to be taught in schools is presented to Parliament in Wellington. More than 30,000 signatures had been collected.  

David Broughton, later known as Rawiri Paratene, (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa), was co-ordinator of the Māori Students Federation, and is shown discussing the importance of the language. 

At the end of the clip you can see Hana Te Hemara Jackson (Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Raukawa) of activist group Ngā Tamatoa presenting the petition to MPs. Among others shown are kaumātua Hēmi Pōtatau (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rākaipaaka), and Lee Smith (Ngāti Kahungunu). 

The MPs who are standing on the steps of parliament to receive the petition include Whetū Tirikātene-Sullivan (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu), Matiu Rata (Ngāti Kurī, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Whātua), and Duncan MacIntyre who was then Minister of Māori Affairs.  

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How to cite this page

Tainui Stephens, Māori and television – whakaata – Ngā tau tōmua, tekau tau 1960 me 1970, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/44607/te-reo-maori-petition-1972 (accessed 23 June 2026).

Story by Tainui Stephens, published 21 March 2014.

Comments

John McCaffery
31 August 2021
From John Mccaffery on behalf of Te Reo Māori Society VUW and TRM ki Aotearoa now.This information on the 1972 Petition is incorrect, though widely now mistakenly believed because the Pākehā media does not understand te reo Māori that had, and still have, no idea what was going on in te reo or who the participants were. They have always been focussed on Tamatoa as the high profile protesters and ignored the TRM elders and speakers in ignorance as the TV edited clips show. The 1972 Petition was jointly organised and presented by Te Reo Māori Society VUW and Ngā Tamatoa as Te Huinga Rangatahi Org previously Federation of Māori Students, of which I was an Exec member. Rawiri was never the spokesperson for us all ie Huinga Rangatahi or TRM. He was the Tamatoa speaker at the presentation. TRMs speakers were Rev Hemi Potatau and the elder Te Ouenuku Rene who led us on chanting and also did the Tukutaonga Karakia with his patu over the suitcase Hana laid on the steps with the Petition in it. You need to read our TRM community comments on the NZ History on line for the correct story and or or ask Prof Rawina Higgins at Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori to correct this caption for you. TRM organised the first Māori language day -Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 1975 ,The Wai 11 1985/6 Education, Broadcasting, National Language & Māori Lang Commission establishment claim as the lawyers and org of the claim Whaimutu Dewes and Rawiri Rangitauira( Cathy Dewes' tane) and hearing as part of Ngā Kai Whakapumau -Contact Piripi Walker Sec Ngā Kaiwhakapumau for confirmation information " Māuri tū, Māuri ora ; Mauri noho, Māuri mate".