Post by Kiwi Frontline on Apr 20, 2016 17:29:09 GMT 12
BLOODY BEATINGS ENFORCED LANGUAGE LOSS
Former MP Dover Samuels says the punishment of children for speaking te reo Maori is a cause for national shame, but the acknowledgement of it in the new Maori Language (Te Reo Maori) Bill is probably as much as can be expected this time.
He says children were expected to drop their identity and culture behind at the gate, and they were caned if they spoke their language.
"Because we didn’t have much padding on, just a pair of trousers, no underpants, anything like that, and when the cane got a bit low on your trousers it drew blood, and I think that issue has been swept under in terms of that generation because it has been so deep. All governments, National or Labour, have tried to bury it because it would be an indictment of our historical past and they did not want even to go there," Mr Samuels says….
www.waateanews.com/waateanews?story_id=MTMzODY=
Former MP Dover Samuels says the punishment of children for speaking te reo Maori is a cause for national shame, but the acknowledgement of it in the new Maori Language (Te Reo Maori) Bill is probably as much as can be expected this time.
He says children were expected to drop their identity and culture behind at the gate, and they were caned if they spoke their language.
"Because we didn’t have much padding on, just a pair of trousers, no underpants, anything like that, and when the cane got a bit low on your trousers it drew blood, and I think that issue has been swept under in terms of that generation because it has been so deep. All governments, National or Labour, have tried to bury it because it would be an indictment of our historical past and they did not want even to go there," Mr Samuels says….
www.waateanews.com/waateanews?story_id=MTMzODY=