Maoris warned

Press, 24 May 1977, Page 4

Maoris warned

PA Wellington; The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) has warned the Maori people that if they do not go with the tide of educational progress, they will be submerged. Mr Muldoon was speaking at the eleventh anniversary celebrations of the accession ! of the Maori Queen, Dame Te Ata-I-Rangikaahu, on the furangawaewae marae at Ngaruawahia. He said Maoris were not born to be “hewers of wood and drawers of water” in a ' European society. “No doubt there are economic reasons why so many seek well-paid but heavy work at an early age,” he ! said, urging Maoris to cast off this role where they possibly could. He told Maori parents and i young people to make “some sacrifice” to keep children at school longer. “In all matters educational, the tide of wisdom and progress is sweeping on, and you must go with it,” said Mr Muldoon. “If you do not ensure that advantage is taken of what is there for you and your children, you will not go with the tide but be submerged.” He exhorted Maori parents too to teach their children their own language.

I “Let me put this question I Ito Maori parents: What are you doing to hand on the heritage of your own language to your children? Do you use Maori in the home? Do you hold it sufficiently precious to take on some, or more, as the case may be, of the responsibility yourselves?” There were 143 secondary schools which offered Maori to their pupils, and the oneyear Maori language course at teachers colleges provided for up to 46 fluent Maori language teachers each year. I Maori' children should not be getting their first aquaintance with their own language at a school, said Mr Muldoon. “Hold fast to your language as you must to your land and your culture,” he said. The migration of Maoris to the cities had created problems of “alarming intensity.” Last year, out of a total prison population of 5035, 1886 were Maoris — even though Maoris are only 11 per cent of the population. The percentage of Maoris who died in car accidents was two and a half times higher than non-Maoris, said Mr Muldoon. “Wliy should this be?”