A History of the Decline of the Maori Language (He Hatori o te Heke Haere o te Reo Maori)

by Jared Mathieson | 11:02 pm 25/07/2010

Once upon a time te reo Maori (the Maori language) was the only spoken language in New Zealand. However, these days only four percent of our entire population is able to hold a general conversation in te reo.

Sadly, only 24 percent of all Maori are fluent speakers. It was once thought that the Maori language and culture would inevitably become extinct but today, te reo Maori is celebrated with events such as te wiki o te reo (Maori language week) and is the only official spoken language of New Zealand. Though progress has been slow and the rate of speakers stagnant, initiatives are in place to ensure the sustenance and restoration of something truly unique to New Zealand that should be cherished by all. So … why was it that over a single century, a language almost vanished?

I put forward this question to Mr. Colonisation, and this is what he had to say: “Because I was a greedy chappy back in those days and very monocultural and thought that Maori and their language were in need of deliverance from their wayward state and should assimilate to be more like me.” I know what you’re thinking: arsehole, right!? But many scholars share the opinion that colonisation was the main influence that led to the rapid decline of te reo. 

Schooling had the biggest impact on the Maori language. Policies that marginalised te reo were employed in schools and influenced the relationship of young children to te reo. Initial missionary education was carried out using te reo but with the initiation of State education there was an emphasis placed on using English as the medium of instruction. Education was seen as a means to assimilate Maori, which unfortunately meant that there was no room for te reo. The Native Schools Act (1867) established a national system of secular Maori Village Day-Schools whereby Maori would provide the land and the Government would supply the buildings and teachers. The Act asserted that English should be the only language used, although this was not enforced rigorously until 1900. At the very beginning of the twentieth century, education authorities took a hard line against the Maori language, which was forbidden even in the playground. Physical punishment was given to children who disobeyed. 

From around 1860 the Pakeha population became the majority and many Maori began to question the relevance of te reo in a Pakeha-dominated society. English was the language of the new economy. Early education was used to assert British superiority and foster imperialistic nationalism while at the same time disestablishing the validity of te reo and tikanga Maori (Maori culture). The combination of all this and the introduction of physical punishment for speaking Maori in school were devastating for te reo. Such initiatives created a loathing amongst many Maori, especially the young, for their own language.

Many Maori supported the strong stance against the speaking of te reo at school as they knew the value of learning English. They believed that even if English was the only language spoken in school, the Maori language could be sustained in the home. Urbanisation, however, would reveal otherwise.

World War Two signalled a huge shift for Maori society. The opportunities for employment in towns and cities lured Maori, fed up with their strenuous rural lifestyle, into urban areas in greater numbers. Prior to the war, around 75 percent of all Maori lived in rural areas. 20 years later, roughly 60 percent were urbanised. This was to have a massively detrimental effect on te reo. At work, in school, and in leisure activities, English was the language of urban New Zealand. Maori families were ‘pepper potted’ throughout towns and cities – meaning that they were scattered over a wide area to avoid concentration of the ethnicity in one area.

Consequently, the idea that Maori would speak English in school and Maori at home proved highly ineffectual as urbanised Maori were engulfed by their English-speaking communities and te reo Maori suffered gravely. While this occurred, educational policy that marginalised the Maori language continued right up until after the 1960s. Efforts to incorporate te reo into the school curriculum were tokenistic and inadequate. 

The number of Maori speakers began to decline rapidly. Between 1900 and 1960 the number of Maori fluent in te reo decreased from 95 percent to 25 percent. By the 1980s less than 20 percent of Maori knew enough reo to be regarded as native speakers. M?ori was on the verge of extinction and many of those who could speak were not necessarily using their reo on a regular basis. Some viewed the death of the Maori language as inevitable. However, from the 1980s, Maori initiatives such as Te Kohanga Reo (Maori language pre-school), Whare Kura (Maori language primary school) and Kura Kaupapa (Maori language secondary school) alongside growing government support for the Maori language, ensured the continuation and revitalisation of te reo.

Though these initiatives are great and are doing the Maori language a huge favour, the number of speakers is still quite stagnant. More of a conscious effort must be made by all New Zealanders to embrace the native language of Aotearoa and ensure its safekeeping for the future generations. After all, Maori culture is a huge part of what makes up our identity as Kiwis. It is something unique and separates us from the rest of the world. With this in mind, te reo should be cherished by all Kiwis and something to be noted as a sign of one’s patriotic character. To continue to disregard the Maori language as irrelevant would be a sad shame on our country. I am optimistic that one day it will not be rare to hear a conversation in the general public in te reo Maori. So go on, give it a go. 

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