Racial Pride Lost

Te Ao Hou, September 1967, Page 20

Racial Pride Lost The Aborigine has not retained the pride of race and identity with his ancestors as the Maori has—many of the younger people are growing up without any knowledge of their tribal traditions and in many cases without even a smattering of their own language. This, to our eyes, was a tragedy, for they had nothing of their own with which to identify themselves. Strengthening this pride of race became one of our aims. In helping start their pre-school groups, we suggested that grandfathers and grandmothers become members of the team, and spend time in telling the children the many fascinating legends of the past. We also suggested that they The Woodenbong Aborigines in discussion at Evans Head. begin to help the children understand their own language. One of the satisfactions I gained later at Woodenbong, was to hear mothers repeating to their children the names of familiar objects in their own language.