The Maori people are the indigenous population of New Zealand. They belong to the Polynesian people and are believed to have settled the islands in the 13^th century. The Maori people have a distinct culture and civilization that was strongly affected by the incoming Europeans. Due to changes caused in their society introduced by the foreign influence their numbers dwindled significantly and their culture all but disappeared.

Archeological sources the first Maori people moved to the islands that are now New Zealand for the first time around 1280. According to local mythology the Maori used huge sea going canoes called ‘waka’s for their transit. No proof of earlier settlers of the islands has been found.

Maori language is commonly referred by its speakers as ‘te reo; meaning the language. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand. It belongs to the Eastern Polynesian languages together with Cook Island Maori, Tuamotuan, Tahitian and others. In the Maori language the word maori means regular or common.

Maori are one of the few indigenous communities that were left untouched by Europeans in the world. There first contacts appeared only in the 17^th century and were limited. The first Europeans that they met were whalers, sealers, escaped convicts from Australia and Christian missionaries. European disease and gunpowder weapons strongly unsettled the balance in Maori society in the 19^thcentury. Inter-tribal wars were sparkled by the technological advantage some tribes had over others that led to the extinction of whole tribes. Imported sicknesses such as influenza and measles eradicated almost 50 percent of the indigenous population.

In the 1840 with the Treaty of Waitangi New Zealand together with its population was incorporated in the British crown. Through a series of steps instigated by the British of alienation from tribal lands the Maori people were almost destroyed in the late 19^thcentury. In recent year there has been a surge for the revival of Maori culture and heritage.

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