“Mum was an articulate, visionary, and fearless woman. She was the biggest driver of the petition for reo Māori to be included in the school curriculum . . . She did all that organising from her kitchen table.” — Ramari Jackson.
Fifty years ago this month, on September 14, 1972, Hana Te Hemara presented a petition on the steps of Parliament calling for reo Māori to be permitted in our schools. It was a radical act that set in motion the modern movement to revitalise te reo Māori.
Hana was married to activist Syd Jackson. Together they were founding members of Ngā Tamatoa and parents to Ramari and Pura.
In this conversation, their daughter Ramari tells Connie Buchanan about her memories of her mum. She says Hana’s passion for the petition was born out of anguish at the loss of her language, and explains why this is the first time she’s talked about her mum publicly.