Tom Roa on his journey to keep te reo Māori alive
Professor Tom Roa (Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto) is a highly respected kaumātua and academic who has worn many hats within te ao Māori and te ao Pākeha. Roa is an eloquent reo speaker who had to fight to reclaim his language within a school system determined to rip it from him. Here, he recounts the story of his te reo Māori journey, as told to Katie Doyle (Ngāpuhi).
This has been edited for length and clarity.
There's been quite a bit written by a number of people on the loss of language, the loss of culture, and the intergenerational trauma that continues today.
Read this story in te reo Māori and English here. / Pānuitia tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei.
Many people have borne witness to what they see as the effects of having lost their identity.
Link to video and article: It lives with you, boy: Tom Roa on his journey to keep te reo Māori alive | Stuff.co.nz
