The Maori are a Polynesian people of New Zealand and were the first people to live in what is now the country of New Zealand. In 2010, they make up about 15 percent of New Zealand's population.
Most live in cities but return to their traditional territories for birthdays, weddings, and funerals, or to help make decisions affecting their group. These events occur on marae «muh RY», traditional Maori meeting places. There, they pass down their oral history, arts, laws, technology, and other cultural traditions. At this point, most Maori speak English, although some speak the Maori language as well.
Let's learn a bit about Maori history now!
The predominant belief of scholars is that the Maori first settled New Zealand around 1200 BCE. Maori traditional beliefs and stories however, believe that they first began arriving more than 1,800 years ago. Maori made a living by fishing and hunting and also by growing crops. By the 1700's, all of New Zealand was under Maori control.
Europeans started arriving in New Zealand in the late 1700's. In 1840, Maori and the United Kingdom signed the Treaty of Waitangi. It gave the United Kingdom the right to govern New Zealand, and the British the right to live there. It guaranteed Maori ownership and control of all their lands, forests, fish, and waters. It also granted them all the rights and privileges of British citizens.
The early British immigrants did not respect the treaty and by 1900 had taken almost everything from Maori. In the early 1900's, a group of young, university-educated Maori in New Zealand's Parliament started changing the way Maori were treated. In 1975, Parliament set up a tribunal to investigate violations of the Treaty of Waitangi. The tribunal has recommended the return of much land and other resources to Maori.
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