Teaching of Maori language urged

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32587, 22 April 1971, Page 7

Teaching of Maori language urged

(N.Z. Press Association)

GISBORNE, April 21. As long as it downgraded Maori education and culture New Zealand must accept the fact that it was a racial society, Mrs R. Maipi, of Huntly, said at the Auckland Diocesan conference of the Catholic Women’s League. The conference is being held in Gisborne and the remits to which she was speaking advocated the study of the Maori language and culture in primary schools and in the training of clergy, teachers and members of religious orders. The remits were passed by the conference, several delegates abstaining. Mrs Maipi said it was still thought that being bilingual was a handicap to a Maori. However, it had been shown that a high percentage of successful students were bilingual. In families where English was poor and Maori was good it was better to teach the children Maori so that they could develop a good concept of language. She believed it should be the right of every New Zealander to learn the language.

Mrs C. Daly, a delegate from the East Coast Bays branch said that priest' could better understand and help the Maori people if they were able to understand the Maori language. Many Maori Catholics would be better comforted if the priest could say a prayer in Maori, she said. While most delegates agreed that a knowledge of Maori culture by all New Zealanders was desirable not all agreed that the teaching of Maori should be compulsory.

Father L. V. Downey of Gisborne said that it was a wonderful idea that bishops and priests should speak Maori, but the reason that they could not was not a lack of commitment. It was

more important that they realised that their work was with all their parishioners. ’ Replying to a comment that Maoris were not interested enough to join branches of the league, Father Gabbriel of Taumarunui said that understanding was the main thing.

“The Maori has always to. meet us on our ground and this is a bad start,” he said. “The point of understanding is immediately lost.” A lot of time was spent learning French at school, and the same amount of time should be spent learning Maori, he said. The league’s national president, Mrs F. E. B. Gregory, of Gisborne, said that two of the remits on Maori language and culture were already under, consideration by the Government.