Still Being Punished

This book records the stories of five Maori men and women. They are not their life stories, and they haven''t told them over and over again. They''ve snuck bits of these stories in to conversations they\ve had with families and friends over the years. They''ve tentatively tested some of the contents on friends or acquaintances and in some cases they''ve been disbelieved - which is why they are important and must be told. This book allows them to tell their stories.'' The stories collected here are told by Maori men and women who were physically disciplined at school for speaking the Maori language. Their stories are of the on-going effects of institutional violence meted out at the intersection of body, language and society. ''While the author has highlighted the lessons to be learnt by rangatahi, the messages are by no means confined to them. This book contains valuable lessons for social workers, educators, medical personnel, politicians, in fact any person who has the privilege of reading it.'' Jill Bevan-Brown, Social Work Review, December 1999