Māori people

Lore & Background

Māori are descended from East Polynesian settlers who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350. Over several centuries in isolation, they developed a distinct culture, with language, mythology, crafts, and performing arts evolving independently from other eastern Polynesian cultures. Some early Māori moved to the Chatham Islands, where their descendants became the Moriori. Early contact with Europeans, starting in the 18th century, ranged from beneficial trade to lethal violence, and Māori actively adopted many technologies from the newcomers. With the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, the two cultures coexisted for a generation, but rising tensions over disputed land sales led to conflict in the 1860s and subsequent land confiscations, which Māori resisted fiercely. After the Treaty was declared a legal nullity in 1877, Māori were forced to assimilate into many aspects of Western culture. Social upheaval and epidemics of introduced disease took a devastating toll on the Māori population, which fell dramatically but began to recover by the beginning of the 20th century.

Reader's Guide

Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand, with origins in East Polynesian settlement around 1320–1350. Their significance lies in being the original inhabitants of New Zealand, with a distinct culture that evolved in isolation. The Treaty of Waitangi (1840) was a foundational document for coexistence, but subsequent land confiscations and assimilation policies caused severe social and demographic disruption. The Māori population declined dramatically due to disease and conflict but began recovering by the early 20th century. Efforts centering on the Treaty of Waitangi have sought to increase Māori standing and achieve social justice, bolstered by a protest movement from the 1960s. Traditional Māori culture has seen a significant revival. However, disproportionate numbers of Māori face economic and social obstacles, including lower life expectancies, incomes, and higher rates of crime, health problems, imprisonment, poverty, and educational under-achievement. Socio-economic initiatives aim to 'close the gaps,' and political and economic redress for historical grievances continues through Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements. Māori are active in media, politics, and sport, and the Māori language is spoken by about a fifth of all Māori.

Did You Know?

• The word 'māori' means 'normal', 'natural', or 'ordinary' in the Māori language.
• Māori often use the term 'tangata whenua' (people of the land) to express their relationship with a particular area.
• Before 1974, the government required documented ancestry of at least 50% Māori to determine Māori status for electoral purposes.
• The March 2023 New Zealand census recorded 978,246 people of Māori descent, 19.6% of the total population.