Māori () are the
indigenous Polynesian people
Polynesians are an ethnolinguistic group comprising closely related ethnic groups native to Polynesia, which encompasses the islands within the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean. They trace their early prehistoric origins to Island Sout ...
of mainland
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. Māori originated with settlers from East
Polynesia
Polynesia ( , ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are called Polynesians. They have many things in ...
, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of
canoe voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350.
Over several centuries in isolation, these settlers developed
a distinct culture, whose language, mythology, crafts, and performing arts evolved independently from those of other eastern Polynesian cultures. Some early Māori moved to the
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands ( ; Moriori language, Moriori: , 'Misty Sun'; ) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approxima ...
, where their descendants became New Zealand's other indigenous Polynesian ethnic group, the
Moriori
The Moriori are the first settlers of the Chatham Islands ( in Moriori language, Moriori; in Māori language, Māori). Moriori are Polynesians who came from the New Zealand mainland around 1500 AD, which was close to the time of the ...
.
Early contact between Māori and Europeans, starting in the 18th century, ranged from beneficial trade to lethal violence; Māori actively adopted many technologies from the newcomers. With the signing of the
Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840, the two cultures coexisted for a generation. 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
Western culture, also known as Western civilization, European civilization, Occidental culture, Western society, or simply the West, refers to the Cultural heritage, internally diverse culture of the Western world. The term "Western" encompas ...
. 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. The March 2023 New Zealand census gives the number of people of Māori descent as 978,246 (19.6% of the total population), an increase of 12.5% since 2018.
Efforts have been made, centring on the
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi (), sometimes referred to as ''Te Tiriti'', is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, Constitution of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the tr ...
, to increase the standing of Māori in wider New Zealand society and achieve
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
. Traditional Māori culture has enjoyed a significant revival, which was further bolstered by a
Māori protest movement
The Māori protest movement is a broad indigenous rights movement in New Zealand (). While there was a range of conflicts between Māori and Pākehā, European immigrants prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, the signing prov ...
that emerged in the 1960s. However, disproportionate numbers of Māori face significant economic and social obstacles, and generally have lower life expectancies and incomes than other New Zealand ethnic groups. They suffer higher levels of crime, health problems, imprisonment, poverty and educational under-achievement. A number of socio-economic initiatives have been instigated with the aim of "
closing the gaps" between Māori and other New Zealanders. Political and economic redress for historical grievances is also ongoing (see
Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements
Claims and settlements under the Treaty of Waitangi () have been a significant feature of New Zealand politics since the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 and the Waitangi Tribunal that was established by that act to hear claims. Successive governme ...
).
Māori are the second-largest ethnic group in New Zealand, after European New Zealanders (commonly known by the Māori name ''
Pākehā
''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
''). In addition,
more than 170,000 Māori live in Australia. The
Māori language
Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...
is spoken to some extent by about a fifth of all Māori, representing three per cent of the total population. Māori are active in all spheres of New Zealand culture and society, with independent representation in areas such as media, politics, and sport.
Etymology
In the
Māori language
Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...
, the word means "normal", "natural", or "ordinary". In legends and oral traditions, the word distinguished ordinary mortal human beings——from
deities
A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...
and spirits (). Likewise, denotes "fresh water", as opposed to
salt water. There are
cognate
In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language.
Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...
words in most
Polynesian languages
The Polynesian languages form a genealogical group of languages, itself part of the Oceanic branch of the Austronesian family.
There are 38 Polynesian languages, representing 7 percent of the 522 Oceanic languages, and 3 percent of the Austr ...
, all deriving from Proto-Polynesian , which has the reconstructed meaning "true, real, genuine".
[ Eastern Polynesian languages]
Naming and self-naming
Early visitors from Europe to New Zealand generally referred to the indigenous inhabitants as "New Zealanders" or as "natives". The Māori used the term to describe themselves in a pan-tribal sense. Māori people often use the term (literal meaning, "people of the land") to identify in a way that expresses their relationship with a particular area of land; a tribe may be the in one area, but not in another. The term can also refer to the Māori people as a whole in relation to New Zealand () as a whole.
The official definition of Māori for electoral purposes has changed over time. Before 1974, the government required documented ancestry to determine the status of "a Māori person" and only those with at least 50% Māori ancestry were allowed to choose which seats they wished to vote in. The Māori Affairs Amendment Act 1974 changed this, allowing individuals to self-identify as to their cultural identity.
Until 1986, the census required at least 50 per cent Māori ancestry to claim Māori affiliation. Currently, in most contexts, authorities require some documentation of ancestry or continuing cultural connection (such as acceptance by others as being of the people); however, there is no minimum ancestry requirement.
History
Origins from Polynesia

No credible evidence exists of
pre-Māori settlement of New Zealand; on the other hand, compelling evidence from archaeology, linguistics, and physical anthropology indicates that the first settlers migrated from
Polynesia
Polynesia ( , ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are called Polynesians. They have many things in ...
and became the Māori.
Evidence indicates that their ancestry (as part of the larger group of
Austronesian peoples
The Austronesian people, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples who have settled in Taiwan, maritime Southeast Asia, parts of mainland Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melan ...
) stretches back 5,000 years, to the
indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Polynesian people settled a large area encompassing
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
,
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...
,
Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...
,
Hawaiʻi,
Easter Island
Easter Island (, ; , ) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is renowned for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, ...
() – and finally New Zealand.
The date of first arrival and settlement is a matter of debate.
There may have been some exploration and settlement before the eruption of
Mount Tarawera (), based on finds of bones from Polynesian rats and rat-gnawed shells, and evidence of widespread forest fires in the decade or so prior. One 2022 study using advanced
radiocarbon technology suggests that "early Māori settlement happened in the North Island between AD 1250 and AD 1275". However, a synthesis of archaeological and genetic evidence concludes that, whether or not some settlers arrived before the Tarawera eruption, the main settlement period was in the decades after it, somewhere between 1320 and 1350.
This broadly aligns with analyses from Māori oral traditions, which describe the arrival of ancestors in
a number of large ocean-going canoes () as a planned mass migration .
They had a profound impact on their environment from their first settlement in New Zealand and voyages further south, with definitive archaeological evidence of brief settlement as far south as
Enderby Island
Enderby Island is part of New Zealand's uninhabited Auckland Islands archipelago, south of mainland New Zealand. It is situated just off the northern tip of Auckland Island, the largest island in the archipelago.
Geography and geology
Enderby ...
. Some have speculated that Māori explorers may have been the first humans to discover
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
: According to a 19th-century translation by
Stephenson Percy Smith, part of the Rarotongan oral history describes
Ui-te-Rangiora, around the year 650, leading a fleet of
Waka Tīwai south until they reached, ''"a place of bitter cold where rock-like structures rose from a solid sea".'' Based on interpretations by Wehi and her colleagues, subsequent commentators speculated that these brief descriptions might match the
Ross Ice Shelf
The Ross Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica (, an area of roughly and about across: about the size of France). It is several hundred metres thick. The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than long, and between high ...
, or possibly the
Antarctic mainland, or
iceberg
An iceberg is a piece of fresh water ice more than long that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open water. Smaller chunks of floating glacially derived ice are called "growlers" or "bergy bits". Much of an i ...
s surrounded by
sea ice
Sea ice arises as seawater freezes. Because ice is less density, dense than water, it floats on the ocean's surface (as does fresh water ice). Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth's surface and about 12% of the world's oceans. Much of the world' ...
found in the
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean, generally taken to be south of 60th parallel south, 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is the seco ...
. Other scholars are far more sceptical, raising serious problems with Smith's translations, and noting the seafaring technologies required for Antarctic voyaging. Regardless of these debates, the Māori were sophisticated seafarers and New Zealand has a strong association with Antarctica, and a wish by some for Māori values to be integral to
human presence there.
Early history
The earliest period of Māori settlement, known as the "Archaic", "Moahunter" or "Colonisation" period, dates from the time of arrival to . The early Māori diet included an abundance of
moa and other large birds and fur seals that had never been hunted before. This Archaic period is known for its distinctive "reel necklaces",
["Nga Kakano: 1100 – 1300"]
Te Papa and also remarkable for the lack of weapons and fortifications typical of the later "Classic" Māori. The best-known and most extensively studied Archaic site, at
Wairau Bar in the South Island, shows evidence of occupation from early-13th century to the early-15th century.
It is the only known New Zealand archaeological site containing the bones of people who were born elsewhere.

Factors that operated in the transition to the Classic period (the culture at the time of European contact) include a significantly
cooler period from 1500,
and the extinction of the
moa and of other food species.
The Classic period is characterised by finely made (greenstone) weapons and ornaments, elaborately carved
war canoes and (meeting houses).
[Neich Roger, 2001. ''Carved Histories: Rotorua Ngati Tarawhai Woodcarving''. Auckland: Auckland University Press, pp. 48–49.] Māori lived in autonomous settlements in extended
hapū
In Māori language, Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief ...
groups descended from common
iwi
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English.
...
ancestors. The settlements had farmed areas and food sources for hunting, fishing and gathering. Fortified
pā
The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori people, Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive :wikt:terrace, terraces – and also to fo ...
were built at strategic locations due to occasional warfare over wrongdoings or resources; this practice varied over different locations throughout New Zealand, with more populations in the far North.
There is a stereotype that Māori were 'natural warriors'; however, warfare and associated practices like
cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is also well document ...
were not a dominant part of Māori culture.
Around the year 1500, a group of Māori migrated east to the
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands ( ; Moriori language, Moriori: , 'Misty Sun'; ) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approxima ...
and developed into a people known as the
Moriori
The Moriori are the first settlers of the Chatham Islands ( in Moriori language, Moriori; in Māori language, Māori). Moriori are Polynesians who came from the New Zealand mainland around 1500 AD, which was close to the time of the ...
, with
pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ...
a key part of their culture.
Contact with Europeans

The first European explorers of New Zealand were
Abel Tasman
Abel Janszoon Tasman (; 160310 October 1659) was a Dutch sea explorer, seafarer and exploration, explorer, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first European to reach New ...
, who arrived in 1642, Captain
James Cook
Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...
, in 1769, and
Marion du Fresne in 1772. Initial contact between Māori and Europeans proved problematic and sometimes fatal, with Tasman having four of his men killed and probably killing at least one Māori, without ever landing. Cook's men shot at least eight Māori within three days of his first landing, although he later had good relations with Māori. Three years later, after a promising start, du Fresne and 26 men of his crew were killed. From the 1780s, Māori also increasingly encountered European and American
sealers Sealer may refer either to a person or ship engaged in seal hunting, or to a sealant; associated terms include:
Seal hunting
* Sealer Hill, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
* Sealers' Oven, bread oven of mud and stone built by sealers around 1800 ...
,
whalers and Christian
missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...
. Relations were mostly peaceful, although marred by several further violent incidents, the worst of which was the
''Boyd'' massacre in 1807 and subsequent revenge attacks.
European settlement in New Zealand began in the early 19th century, leading to an extensive sharing of culture and ideas. Many Māori valued Europeans, whom they called "", as a means to acquire Western knowledge and technology. Māori quickly adopted writing as a means of sharing ideas, and many of their oral stories and poems were converted to the written form. The introduction of the
potato
The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...
revolutionised agriculture, and the acquisition of
musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually dis ...
s
by Māori led to a period of particularly bloody
intertribal warfare known as the
Musket Wars
The Musket Wars were a series of as many as 3,000 battles and raids fought throughout New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) among Māori people, Māori between 1806 and 1845, after Māori first obtained muskets and then engaged in an inte ...
, in which many groups were decimated and others driven from their traditional territory. The pacifist
Moriori
The Moriori are the first settlers of the Chatham Islands ( in Moriori language, Moriori; in Māori language, Māori). Moriori are Polynesians who came from the New Zealand mainland around 1500 AD, which was close to the time of the ...
in the Chatham Islands similarly suffered massacre and subjugation in an invasion by some Taranaki . At the same time, the Māori suffered high mortality rates from Eurasian infectious diseases, such as
influenza
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...
,
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
and
measles
Measles (probably from Middle Dutch or Middle High German ''masel(e)'', meaning "blemish, blood blister") is a highly contagious, Vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine-preventable infectious disease caused by Measles morbillivirus, measles v ...
, which killed an estimated 10 to 50 per cent of Māori.
By 1839, estimates placed the number of Europeans living in New Zealand as high as 2,000,
and the
British Crown
The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
acceded to repeated requests from missionaries and some Māori chiefs () to intervene. The British government sent Royal Navy Captain
William Hobson to negotiate a treaty between the British Crown and the Māori, which became known as the
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi (), sometimes referred to as ''Te Tiriti'', is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, Constitution of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the tr ...
. Starting from February 1840, this treaty was signed by the Crown and 500 Māori chiefs from across New Zealand. The Treaty gave Māori the rights of
British subjects
The term "British subject" has several different meanings depending on the time period. Before 1949, it referred to almost all subjects of the British Empire (including the United Kingdom, Dominions, and colonies, but excluding protectorates ...
and guaranteed Māori property rights and tribal autonomy, in return for accepting British
sovereignty
Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within a state as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate au ...
and the annexation of New Zealand as a colony in the
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
. However, disputes continue over aspects of the Treaty of Waitangi, including wording differences in the two versions (in English and Māori), as well as misunderstandings of different cultural concepts; notably, the Māori version did not cede sovereignty to the British Crown. In
an 1877 court case the Treaty was declared a "simple nullity" on the grounds that the signatories had been "primitive barbarians".
Nevertheless, relations between Māori and Pākehā (New Zealand Europeans) during the early colonial period were largely peaceful. Many Māori groups set up substantial businesses, supplying food and other products for domestic and overseas markets. When violence did break out, as in the
Wairau Affray
The Wairau Affray of 17 June 1843, also called the Wairau Massacre and the Wairau Incident, was the first serious clash of arms between British settlers and Māori people, Māori in New Zealand after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and t ...
,
Flagstaff War
The Flagstaff War, also known as Heke's War, Hōne Heke's Rebellion and the Northern War, was fought between 11 March 1845 and 11 January 1846 in and around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The conflict is best remembered for the actions of H� ...
,
Hutt Valley Campaign and
Wanganui Campaign, it was generally limited and concluded with a peace treaty. However, by the 1860s rising settler numbers and tensions over disputed land purchases led to the later
New Zealand wars
The New Zealand Wars () took place from 1845 to 1872 between the Colony of New Zealand, New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori people, Māori on one side, and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. Though the wars were initi ...
, fought by the colonial government against numerous Māori using local and British Imperial troops, and some allied . These conflicts resulted in the colonial government
confiscating tracts of Māori land as punishment for what were called "rebellions". Pākehā settlers would occupy the confiscated land. Several minor conflicts arose after the wars, including the incident at
Parihaka
Parihaka is a community in the Taranaki region of New Zealand, located between Mount Taranaki and the Tasman Sea. In the 1870s and 1880s the settlement, then reputed to be the largest Māori people, Māori village in New Zealand, became the centre ...
in 1881 and the
Dog Tax War from 1897 to 1898. The
Native Land Court was established to transfer Māori land from communal ownership into individual title as a means to assimilation and to facilitate greater sales to European settlers.
Decline and revival

By the late 19th century, a widespread belief existed amongst both
Pākehā
''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
and Māori that the Māori population would cease to exist as a separate race or culture, and become assimilated into the European population. From the late 19th to the mid-20th century various laws, policies, and practices were instituted in New Zealand society with the effect of inducing Māori to conform to Pākehā norms; notable among these are the
Tohunga Suppression Act 1907
The Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 was an Act of the New Zealand Parliament aimed at replacing tohunga as traditional Māori healers with western medicine.
It was introduced by James Carroll who expressed impatience with what he considered regr ...
and the suppression of the Māori language by schools, often enforced with corporal punishment. In the 1896 census, New Zealand had a Māori population of 42,113, by which time Europeans numbered more than 700,000.
The rapid decline did not continue and the Māori population continued to recover in the 20th century. Influential Māori politicians such as
James Carroll,
Āpirana Ngata,
Te Rangi Hīroa and
Māui Pōmare
Sir Māui Wiremu Piti Naera Pōmare (1875 or 1876 – 27 June 1930) was a New Zealand medical doctor and politician, being counted among the more prominent Māori political figures. He is particularly known for his efforts to improve Māori he ...
aimed to revitalise the Māori people after the devastation of the previous century. They believed the future path called for a degree of
assimilation, with Māori adopting European practices such as
Western medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for patients, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
, while also retaining traditional cultural practices. Māori also fought during both World Wars in specialised battalions (the
Māori Pioneer Battalion in WWI and the
28th (Māori) Battalion in WWII). Māori were also badly hit by the
1918 influenza epidemic, with death rates for Māori being five to seven times higher than for Pākehā.

Since the 1960s, Māoridom has undergone a
cultural revival concurrent with activism for social justice and a
protest movement. (Māori language pre-schools) were established in 1982 to promote Māori language use and halt the decline in its use. Two Māori language television channels broadcast content in the Māori language,
while words such as "" have entered widespread use in
New Zealand English
New Zealand English (NZE) is the variant of the English language spoken and written by most English-speaking New Zealanders. Its language code in ISO and Internet standards is en-NZ. It is the first language of the majority of the populati ...
.
Government recognition of the growing political power of Māori and political activism have led to limited redress for historic land confiscations. In 1975, the Crown set up the
Waitangi Tribunal to investigate historical grievances, and since the 1990s the New Zealand government has negotiated and finalised
treaty settlements with many across New Zealand. By June 2008, the government had provided over NZ$900 million in settlements, much of it in the form of land deals.
There is a growing Māori leadership who are using these settlements as an investment platform for economic development.
Despite a growing acceptance of Māori culture in wider New Zealand society, treaty settlements have generated significant controversy. Some Māori have argued that the settlements occur at a level of between one and two-and-a-half cents on the dollar of the value of the confiscated lands, and do not represent adequate redress. Conversely, some non-Māori denounce the settlements and socioeconomic initiatives as amounting to race-based preferential treatment.
Both of these sentiments were expressed during the
New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy
The New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy is a debate in the politics of New Zealand. It concerns the ownership of the country's foreshore and seabed, with many Māori groups claiming that Māori have a rightful claim to title ( indige ...
in 2004.
Māori King movement

The
Māori King movement
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, called the in Māori, arose among some of the Māori in the central North Island in the 1850s, to establish a role similar in status to that of the monarch of the British colonists, as a way of halting the alienation of Māori land.
The Māori monarch operates in a non-constitutional capacity with no legal or judicial power within the New Zealand government. Reigning monarchs retain the position of
paramount chief
A paramount chief is the English-language designation for a king or queen or the highest-level political leader in a regional or local polity or country administered politically with a Chiefdom, chief-based system. This term is used occasionally ...
of several
and wield some power over these, especially within
Tainui
Tainui is a tribal waka (canoe), waka confederation of New Zealand Māori people, Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki Māori, Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapo ...
.
The current Māori monarch,
Nga wai hono i te po, was
elected in 2024.
Her official residence is Tūrongo House at
Tūrangawaewae marae
A ' (in Māori language, New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian language, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan language, Tongan), ' (in Marquesan language, Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan language, Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves reli ...
in the town of
Ngāruawāhia
Ngāruawāhia () is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located north-west of Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton at the confluence of the Waikato River, Waikato and Waipā Rivers, adjacent to the Hakarimata Rang ...
. She is the eighth monarch since the position was created and is the continuation of a dynasty that reaches back to the inaugural king,
Pōtatau Te Wherowhero
Pōtatau Te Wherowhero (died 25 June 1860) was a Māori people, Māori rangatira who reigned as the inaugural Māori King Movement, Māori King from 1858 until his death. A powerful nobleman and a leader of the Waikato (iwi), Waikato iwi of the ...
.
The
movement arose among a group of central North Island iwi in the 1850s as a means of attaining Māori unity to halt the alienation of land at a time of rapid population growth by European colonists.
The movement sought to establish a monarch who could claim status similar to that of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
and thus allow Māori to deal with (Europeans) on equal footing. It took on the appearance of an alternative government with its own flag, newspaper, bank, councillors, magistrates and law enforcement. But it was viewed by the colonial government as a challenge to the supremacy of the
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers Constitutional monarchy, regula ...
, leading in turn to the 1863
invasion of Waikato, which was partly motivated by a drive to neutralise the Kīngitanga's power and influence. Following their defeat at Ōrākau in 1864, Kīngitanga forces withdrew into the Ngāti Maniapoto tribal region of the North Island that became known as the
King Country
The King Country ( Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from Kawhia Harbour and the town of Ōtorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of th ...
.
The Māori monarch's influence has not been as strong as it could be, partially due to the lack of affiliation to the Kīngitanga of key iwi, most notably
Tūhoe,
Ngāti Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. It has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi, behind Ngāpuhi, with an estimated 102,480 people according to the ...
, and the largest iwi of all,
Ngāpuhi
Ngāpuhi (also known as Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland regions of New Zealand centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei.
According to the 2023 New Zealand census, the estimate ...
.
Demographics

Under the Māori Affairs Amendment Act 1974, a Māori is defined as "a person of the Māori race of New Zealand; and includes any descendant of such a person". The Māori population around the late 18th century was estimated by James Cook at 100,000. Historian Michael King suggests a slightly higher figure of 110,000 is more likely. Their numbers declined during the 19th century, to as low as 42,000; the decline has been attributed to the impact of European colonisation, including new diseases. Thereafter the population grew rapidly.
There were 887,493 people identifying as being part of the Māori ethnic group at the
2023 New Zealand census
The 2023 New Zealand census, which took place on 7 March 2023, was the thirty-fifth national census in New Zealand. It implemented measures that aimed to increase the Census' effectiveness in response to the issues faced with the 2018 census, i ...
, making up 17.8% of New Zealand's population.
This is an increase of 111,657 people (14.4%) since the
2013 census, and an increase of 288,891 people (48.3%) since the
2006 census. The large increase between the 2013 and 2018 census was mainly due to
Statistics New Zealand
Statistics New Zealand (), branded as Stats NZ, is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the collection of statistics related to the economy, population and society of New Zealand. To this end, Stats NZ produces New Zealand c ...
starting to add ethnicity data from other sources (previous censuses, administrative data, and imputation) to the census data to reduce the number of non-responses.
The median age of Māori was 26.8 years, compared with 38.1 years for New Zealand as a whole. 262,422 people (29.6%) were aged under 15 years, 223,860 (25.2%) were 15 to 29, 336,486 (37.9%) were 30 to 64, and 64,725 (7.3%) were 65 or older.
At the 2018 census, there were 383,019 males and 392,820 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.975 males per female.
In terms of population distribution, 753,384 (84.9%) Māori lived in the North Island at the 2023 census and 133,656 (15.1%) lived in the South Island. Five districts had a
majority
A majority is more than half of a total; however, the term is commonly used with other meanings, as explained in the "#Related terms, Related terms" section below.
It is a subset of a Set (mathematics), set consisting of more than half of the se ...
Māori population:
Chatham Islands territory
The Chatham Islands ( ; Moriori: , 'Misty Sun'; ) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approximate radius, the la ...
(68.6%),
Wairoa district (68.5%),
Ōpōtiki district
Ōpōtiki District is a Districts of New Zealand, territorial authority district in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region on the North Island of New Zealand. It stretches from Kutarere and the eastern shore of Ōhiwa Harbour in the west to Cape Runaw ...
(66.2%),
Kawerau district (63.2%) and
Gisborne district
Gisborne District or the Gisborne Region (Māori language, Māori: ''Te Tairāwhiti'' or ''Te Tai Rāwhiti'') is a local government area of northeastern New Zealand. It is governed by Gisborne District Council, a unitary authority (with the co ...
(54.8%). The
Upper Harbour local board area in Auckland has the lowest concentration of Māori people at 6.1%, followed by the
Devonport-Takapuna local board area (6.2%) and the
Howick local board area (6.3%), The
Queenstown-Lakes District had the lowest concentration of Māori outside Auckland at 6.4%.
Of those identifying as Māori at the 2018 census, 352,755 people (45.5%) identified as of sole Māori ethnicity while 336,174 people (43.3%) identified as of both European and Māori ethnicity, due to the high rate of intermarriage between the two ethnicities.
The largest by population at the 2013 census was
Ngāpuhi
Ngāpuhi (also known as Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland regions of New Zealand centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei.
According to the 2023 New Zealand census, the estimate ...
(125,601), followed by
Ngāti Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. It has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi, behind Ngāpuhi, with an estimated 102,480 people according to the ...
(71,049),
Ngāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori people, Māori (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim, New Zealand, Blenhe ...
(54,819) and
Waikato
The Waikato () is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the nort ...
(40,083). However, over 110,000 people of Māori descent could not identify their .
Outside of New Zealand, a large Māori population exists in Australia. There were 170,057 Australians identifying as Māori at the
2021 Australian census
The 2021 Australian census, simply called the 2021 Census, was the eighteenth national Census of Population and Housing in Australia. The 2021 Census took place on 10 August 2021, and was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). ...
, with 65,031 living in
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, 39,714 living in
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
and 31,044 living in
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
.
Smaller communities also exist in the United Kingdom (approx. 8,000), the United States (up to 3,500) and Canada (approx. 2,805).
[New Zealand-born figures from the 2000 U.S. Census; maximum figure represents sum of "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander" and people of mixed race. United States Census Bureau (2003). . Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau.]
Culture

Māori culture forms a distinctive part of
New Zealand culture
The culture of New Zealand is a synthesis of Indigenous peoples, indigenous Māori culture, Māori, colonial British culture, British, and other cultural influences. The country's earliest inhabitants brought with them customs and language fr ...
and, due to a large diaspora and the incorporation of Māori motifs into
popular culture
Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of cultural practice, practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art f. pop art
F is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet.
F may also refer to:
Science and technology Mathematics
* F or f, the number 15 (number), 15 in hexadecimal and higher positional systems
* ''p'F'q'', the hypergeometric function
* F-distributi ...
or mass art, sometimes contraste ...
, is found throughout the world. Contemporary Māori culture comprises traditional as well as 20th-century influences.
Traditional culture
Archaeological record indicates a gradual evolution of culture. In the course of a few centuries, the growing population led to competition for resources and an increase in warfare and an increased frequency of fortified
pā
The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori people, Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive :wikt:terrace, terraces – and also to fo ...
. Various systems also arose aimed to conserve resources; most of these, such as and , used religious or supernatural threats to discourage people from taking species at particular seasons or from specified areas.
Warfare between tribes was common, and Māori would sometimes eat their conquered enemies or enslave them. Performing arts such as the
haka
Haka (, ; singular ''haka'', in both Māori language, Māori and New Zealand English) are a variety of ceremonial dances in Māori culture. A performance art, hakas are often performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the f ...
developed from their Polynesian roots, as did carving and weaving. Regional dialects arose, with differences in vocabulary and in the pronunciation of some words but the language retained enough similarities to other
Eastern Polynesian languages for
Tupaia, the
Tahitian navigator on
James Cook
Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...
's first voyage in the region to act as an interpreter between Māori and the crew of the ''
Endeavour''.
Belief and religion
Traditional Māori beliefs have their origins in
Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture is the culture of the indigenous peoples of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. The development of Polynesian culture is typically divided into four different historical eras:
* Exploration and ...
. Concepts such as (sacred), (non-sacred), (authority/prestige) and (spirit) governed everyday Māori living, and there are also many
Māori deities. Today, some Māori follow a variety of Christian faiths such as
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
, Māori Christian groups such as
Rātana
Rātana () is a Māori Christian church and movement, headquartered at Rātana Pā near Whanganui, New Zealand. The Rātana movement began in 1918, when Tahupōtiki Wiremu (T. W.) Ratana claimed to experience visions, and began a mission o ...
and
Ringatū
The Ringatū church is a Māori church in New Zealand, founded in 1868 by Te Kooti Arikirangi te Turuki, commonly called Te Kooti. The symbol for the movement is an upraised hand, or ("hand") ("raised") in Māori.
Origins
Te Kooti was a wi ...
,
and also
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
,
Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
and
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
denominations. At the
2018 New Zealand census
The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census.
Resu ...
, 7.7 per cent of Māori were affiliated with Māori religions, beliefs, and philosophies; 29.9 per cent with Christian denominations and 53.5 per cent of Māori claimed
no religion. Proportions of Christian and irreligious Māori are comparable with European New Zealanders.
Many Māori people observe spiritual traditions such as and . Certain objects, areas, or buildings are (spiritually restricted), and must be made (unrestricted) by ceremonial action. It is common practice, for instance, to remove one's shoes before entering a (meeting-house), a token of respect for the ancestors who are represented and spiritually present within the . Another spiritual ritual is (purification), practised when fishing to ensure there is no on the fish.
Performing arts
Cultural performance of (song), (dance), (chants) and (poetry) are used by Māori to express and pass on knowledge and understanding about history, communities, and relationships. is a Māori performance art believed to have originated with the legendary figure
Tinirau. It was performed for tourists following European contact, starting in the 1880s; this sometimes involved adaptations to make it more familiar to European audiences.
It was used in the First World War to raise money for the Maori Soldiers' Fund encouraged by
Āpirana Ngata.
A is often performed in a (welcoming ceremony).

Since 1972, there has been a regular national competition, the
Te Matatini National Festival, organised by the Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Society. There are groups in schools, tertiary institutions, and workplaces, and it is performed at tourist venues across the country.
(entertainment houses) were a site of story-telling, dance, and puppetry in pre-European Māori culture. Māori theatre and contemporary dance flourished in the 1970s and 1980s with groups such as
Te Ohu Whakaari, Te Ika a Maui Players and
Taki Rua
Taki Rua is a theatre organisation based in Wellington, New Zealand that has produced many contemporary Māori people, Māori theatre productions. Taki Rua has been going since 1983 and has had several name changes over that time including The N ...
. Contemporary Māori stage writers, actors and directors include
George Henare,
Riwia Brown,
Hone Kouka,
Nancy Brunning,
Jim Moriarty,
Briar Grace-Smith, and many others. Contemporary performing arts include theatre companies Taki Rua, Tawata Productions who run an annual playwriting festival for indigenous writers called Breaking Ground, and dance companies,
Atamira Dance Company and Okareka Dance Company. In
Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
there is Te Pou, a kaupapa Māori performing arts venue that develops and partners with Māori theatre makers.
Traditional Māori instruments are
taonga pūoro. They fulfilled various roles including storytelling, religious traditions and also daily functions such as the beginning of a new day. Taonga pūoro fall into two areas, melodic instruments such as the flute and rhythmic instruments such as
poi "balls of dried flax on string that are swung and tapped".
Prominent Māori music artists and groups include
Stan Walker,
Maisey Rika,
Young Sid,
William Singe,
Teeks,
Ria Hall,
Rob Ruha,
Pieter T,
Alien Weaponry,
Sons of Zion,
1814
Events January
* January 1 – War of the Sixth Coalition – The Royal Prussian Army led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher crosses the Rhine.
* January 3
** War of the Sixth Coalition – Siege of Cattaro: French gar ...
and
Maimoa.
File:Stan_Walker_Wiki_Image_(cropped).png, alt=Stan Walker, Stan Walker
File:Maisey_Rika_111_(51488290169).jpg, alt=Maisey Rika, Maisey Rika
File:Teeks_in_July_2017_(cropped).png, alt=Te Karehana Gardiner Toi, Teeks
File:Youn_Sid_(2008_Dunedin).jpg, alt=Sid Diamond, Young Sid
File:Wahine_Toa_Leadership_Conference,_October_28_2016_(29981680323).jpg, Ria Hall
Literature and media
Like other cultures, oral folklore was used by Māori to preserve their stories and beliefs through many centuries. In the 19th century, European-style literacy was brought to the Māori, which led to Māori history documentation in books, novels and later television. Māori language use began to decline in the 20th century with English as the language through which Māori literature became widespread.
Notable Māori novelists include
Patricia Grace,
Witi Ihimaera
Witi Tame Ihimaera-Smiler (; born 7 February 1944) is a New Zealand author. Raised in the small town of Waituhi, he decided to become a writer as a teenager after being convinced that Māori people, Māori people were ignored or mischaracteri ...
and
Alan Duff. ''
Once Were Warriors'', a 1994 film adapted from a 1990
novel of the same name by Alan Duff, brought the plight of some urban Māori to a wide audience. It was the highest-grossing film in New Zealand until 2006, and received international acclaim, winning several international film prizes. While some Māori feared that viewers would consider the violent male characters an accurate portrayal of Māori men, most critics praised it as exposing the raw side of
domestic violence
Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...
.
Other major films with Māori themes or subjects include
''Utu'' (1983), ''
The Piano
''The Piano'' is a 1993 historical romance film written and directed by New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion. It stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin (in her first major acting role). The film focuses on a mute Sc ...
'' (1993), ''
Whale Rider'' (2002), ''
River Queen'' (2005), ''
Boy
A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a man.
Definition, etymology, and use
According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy ...
'' (2010), ''
Hunt for the Wilderpeople'' (2016) and
''Muru'' (2022). ''
The Maori Merchant of Venice'' (2002) was notable as a complete Māori language translation and performance of Shakespeare's ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...
''.
Prominent Māori actors include
Temuera Morrison,
Cliff Curtis
Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis (born July 27, 1968) is a New Zealand actor and film producer. After working in theatre, he made his film debut in Jane Campion's Academy Awards, Oscar-winning film ''The Piano'' (1993), followed by a breakout role ...
,
Jemaine Clement,
Lawrence Makoare,
Miriama Smith,
Manu Bennett,
Keisha Castle-Hughes,
James Rolleston,
Rena Owen,
Shavaughn Ruakere and
Julian Dennison. In most cases their roles in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
productions have them portraying ethnic groups other than Māori.
In the 2010s Māori actor-director
Taika Waititi rose to global fame directing the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
film ''
Thor: Ragnarok'' (2017), and the
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-winning ''
Jojo Rabbit
''Jojo Rabbit'' is a 2019 political satire, satirical drama film written and directed by Taika Waititi, adapted from Christine Leunens's 2008 book ''Caging Skies''. Roman Griffin Davis portrays the title character, Johannes "Jojo" Betzler, a te ...
'' (2019), in which he played
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
in a supporting role. Waititi's previous films ''
Boy
A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a man.
Definition, etymology, and use
According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy ...
''
and ''
Hunt for the Wilderpeople'', both feature young Māori protagonists.
File:Witi Ihimaera (cropped).jpg, Witi Ihimaera
Witi Tame Ihimaera-Smiler (; born 7 February 1944) is a New Zealand author. Raised in the small town of Waituhi, he decided to become a writer as a teenager after being convinced that Māori people, Māori people were ignored or mischaracteri ...
File:Taika Waititi by Gage Skidmore.jpg, Taika Waititi
File:Temuera Morrison 2016.jpg, Temuera Morrison
File:Manu Bennett July 2014.jpg, Manu Bennett
File:Maori women at BBQ.jpg, Keisha Castle-Hughes
Sport
Māori participate fully in
New Zealand's sporting culture, and are well-represented in rugby union, rugby league and netball teams at all levels. As well as participation in national sports teams, there are Māori
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
,
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
and
cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
representative teams that play in international competitions.
At the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
in Rio de Janeiro, 41 of the 199 competitors (20.5 per cent) were of Māori descent in the
New Zealand delegation, with the rugby sevens squads alone having 17 Māori competitors (out of 24). There were also three competitors of Māori descent in the
Australian delegation.

The
New Zealand national rugby union team
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...
and many other
New Zealand sports people perform a , a traditional Māori challenge, before events.
Kī-o-rahi and
Tapawai are two
ball sports of Māori origin. Kī-o-rahi received an unexpected boost when
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
chose it to represent New Zealand.
Waka ama (outrigger canoeing) has also experienced a resurgence of interest in New Zealand since the 1980s.
Language

The Māori language, also known as (pronounced ) or simply ("the language"), has the status of an official language. Linguists classify it within the Eastern Polynesian languages as being closely related to
Cook Islands Māori
Cook Islands Māori is an Eastern Polynesian language that is the official language of the Cook Islands. Cook Islands Māori is closely related to, but distinct from, New Zealand Māori. Cook Islands Māori is called just Māori when there i ...
,
Tuamotuan and
Tahitian. Before European contact Māori did not have a written language and "important information such as was memorised and passed down verbally through the generations". Māori were familiar with the concept of maps and when interacting with missionaries in 1815 could draw accurate maps of their ( boundaries), onto paper, that were the equal of European maps. Missionaries surmised that Māori had traditionally drawn maps on sand or other natural materials.
From about 1890, Māori
members of Parliament realised the importance of English literacy to Māori and insisted that all Māori children be taught in English. Missionaries, who still ran many Māori schools, had been teaching exclusively in Māori but the Māori MPs insisted this should stop. However attendance at school for many Māori was intermittent.
In many areas of New Zealand, Māori lost its role as a living community language used by significant numbers of people in the
post-war
A post-war or postwar period is the interval immediately following the end of a war. The term usually refers to a varying period of time after World War II, which ended in 1945. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum, ...
years. In tandem with calls for sovereignty and for the righting of social injustices from the 1970s onwards, New Zealand schools now teach Māori culture and language as an option, and pre-school ("language-nests") have started, which teach (young children) exclusively in Māori. These extend right through secondary schools (). Most preschool centres teach basics such as colours, numerals and greetings in Māori songs and chants.
Māori Television, a government-funded channel committed to broadcasting primarily in Te Reo, began in March 2004.
The 1996 census reported 160,000 Māori speakers.
[ (revised 2007)] At the time of the 2013 census 125,352 Māori (21.3 per cent) reported a conversational level of
proficiency.
Social organisation
Historical development
Polynesian settlers in New Zealand developed a distinct society over several hundred years. Social groups were tribal, with no unified society or single Māori identity until after the arrival of Europeans. Nevertheless, common elements could be found in all Māori groups in pre-European New Zealand, including a shared Polynesian heritage, a common basic language, familial associations, traditions of warfare, and similar mythologies and religious beliefs.
Most Māori lived in villages, which were inhabited by several (extended families) who collectively formed a (clan or subtribe). Members of a cooperated with food production, gathering resources, raising families and defence. Māori society across New Zealand was broadly stratified into three classes of people: , chiefs and ruling families; , commoners; and , slaves. also held special standing in their communities as specialists of revered arts, skills and esoteric knowledge.
[King (1996), pp 42–3]
Shared ancestry, intermarriage and trade strengthened relationships between different groups. Many with mutually recognised shared ancestry formed , or tribes, which were the largest social unit in Māori society. and often united for expeditions to gather food and resources, or in times of conflict. In contrast, warfare developed as an integral part of traditional life, as different groups competed for food and resources, settled personal disputes, and sought to increase their prestige and authority.

Early European settlers introduced tools, weapons, clothing and foods to Māori across New Zealand, in exchange for resources, land and labour. Māori began selectively adopting elements of Western society during the 19th century, including European clothing and food, and later Western education, religion and architecture. However, as the 19th century wore on, relations between European colonial settlers and different Māori groups became increasingly strained. Tensions led to widespread conflict in the 1860s, and the
confiscation of millions of acres of Māori land. Significant amounts of land were also purchased by the colonial government and later through the
Native Land Court.
20th century to present
By the start of the 20th century, a greater awareness had emerged of a unified Māori identity, particularly in comparison to Pākehā, who now overwhelmingly outnumbered the Māori as a whole. Māori and Pākehā societies remained largely separate—socially, culturally, economically and geographically—for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The key reason for this was that Māori remained almost exclusively a rural population, whereas increasingly the European population was urban especially after 1900. Nevertheless, Māori groups continued to engage with the government and in legal processes to increase their standing in (and ultimately further their incorporation into) wider New Zealand society. The main point of contact with the government were the four Māori Members of Parliament.
Many Māori
migrated to larger rural towns and cities during the Depression and post-WWII periods in search of employment, leaving rural communities depleted and disconnecting many
urban Māori from their traditional social controls and tribal homelands. Yet while
standards of living
Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available to an individual, community or society. A contributing factor to an individual's quality of life, standard of living is generally concerned with objective metrics outside ...
improved among Māori, they continued to lag behind Pākehā in areas such as health, income, skilled employment and access to higher levels of education. Māori leaders and government policymakers alike struggled to deal with
social issues
A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...
stemming from increased urban migration, including a shortage of housing and jobs, and a rise in urban crime, poverty and health problems.
[Sorrenson (1997), pp 339–41]
In regards to housing, a 1961 census revealed significant differences in the living conditions of Māori and Europeans. That year, out of all the (unshared) non-Māori private dwellings in New Zealand, 96.8 per cent had a bath or shower, 94.1 per cent a hot water service, 88.7 per cent a flush toilet, 81.6 per cent a refrigerator, and 78.6 per cent an electric washing machine. By contrast, for all (unshared) Māori private dwellings that same year, 76.8 per cent had a bath or shower, 68.9 per cent a hot water service, 55.8 per cent a refrigerator, 54.1 per cent a flush toilet, and 47 per cent an electric washing machine.
While the arrival of Europeans had a profound impact on the Māori way of life, many aspects of traditional society have survived into the 21st century. Māori participate fully in all spheres of New Zealand culture and society, leading largely Western lifestyles while also maintaining their own cultural and social customs. The traditional social strata of , and have all but disappeared from Māori society, while the roles of and are still present. Traditional kinship ties are also actively maintained, and the in particular remains an integral part of Māori life.
, and
Māori society at a local level is particularly visible at the . Formerly the central meeting spaces in traditional villages, today usually comprise a group of buildings around an open space, that frequently host events such as weddings, funerals, church services and other large gatherings, with traditional protocol and etiquette usually observed. They also serve as the base of one or sometimes several .
Most Māori affiliate with one or more (and ), based on genealogical descent (). vary in size, from a few hundred members to over 100,000 in the case of Ngāpuhi. Many people do not live in their traditional tribal regions as a result of urban migration (''see
Urban Māori''). are usually governed by (tribal councils or assemblies) which represent the in consultations and negotiations with the New Zealand government.
Race relations

The status of Māori as the indigenous people of New Zealand is recognised in
New Zealand law
The law of New Zealand uses the English common law system, inherited from being a part of the British Empire.
There are several sources of law, the primary ones being acts enacted by the New Zealand Parliament and case law made by decisions o ...
by the term ( "people of the land"), which identifies the traditional connection between Māori and a given area of land. Māori as a whole can be considered as of New Zealand entirely (excepting the
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands ( ; Moriori language, Moriori: , 'Misty Sun'; ) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approxima ...
, where the are Moriori); individual are recognised as for areas of New Zealand in which they are traditionally based (known in Māori as ), while are within their . New Zealand law periodically requires consultation between the government and —for example, during major land development projects. This usually takes the form of negotiations between local or national government and the of one or more relevant , although the government generally decides which (if any) concerns are acted upon.

Māori issues are a prominent feature of race relations in New Zealand. Historically, many Pākehā viewed race relations in their country as being the "best in the world", a view that prevailed until Māori urban migration in the mid-20th century brought cultural and socioeconomic differences to wider attention.
Māori protest movements grew significantly in the 1960s and 1970s seeking redress for past grievances, particularly in regard to land rights. Successive governments have responded by enacting
affirmative action
Affirmative action (also sometimes called reservations, alternative access, positive discrimination or positive action in various countries' laws and policies) refers to a set of policies and practices within a government or organization seeking ...
programmes, funding cultural rejuvenation initiatives and negotiating tribal settlements for past breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. Further efforts have focused on reducing
socioeconomic disparity.
A 2007
Department of Corrections report found that Māori are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system: "a number of studies have shown evidence of greater likelihood, associated only with ethnicity, for Māori offenders to have police contact, be charged, lack legal representation, not be granted bail, plead guilty, be convicted, be sentenced to non-monetary penalties, and be denied release to Home Detention". Conversely, critics denounce the scale of assistance given to Māori as amounting to preferential treatment for a select group of people based on race.
Both sentiments were highlighted during the
foreshore and seabed controversy in 2004, in which the New Zealand government claimed sole ownership of the New Zealand foreshore and seabed, over the objections of Māori groups who were seeking customary title.
Socioeconomic issues
Māori on average have fewer assets than the rest of the population, and run greater risks of many negative economic and social outcomes. Over 50 per cent of Māori live in areas in the three highest deprivation deciles, compared with 24 per cent of the rest of the population.
Although Māori make up 16.5 per cent of the population, they make up 53.0 per cent of the prison population. Māori have higher unemployment rates than other ethnic groups in New Zealand, which is believed to partially account for their over-representation in the criminal justice system; many young Māori, finding themselves unemployed, are picked up for alcohol-related behaviours or small crimes such as vandalism.
Underemployment
Underemployment is the underuse of a worker because their job does not use their skills, offers them too few hours, or leaves the worker idle. It is contrasted with unemployment, where a person lacks a job at all despite wanting one.
Examples ...
is in turn attributed to persistent
institutional racism
Institutional racism, also known as systemic racism, is a form of institutional discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race or ethnic group and can include policies and practices that exist throughout a whole society or organizati ...
in New Zealand.
"Only 47 per cent of Māori school-leavers finish school with qualifications higher than
NCEA Level One; compared to 74 per cent European; 87 per cent Asian."
Although New Zealand rates very well globally in the PISA rankings that compare national performance in reading, science and maths, "once you disaggregate the PISA scores, Pakeha students are second in the world and Māori are 34th." At the 2018 New Zealand census, 25.3% of Māori aged 15 and over had no formal qualifications, compared to 17.1% for non-Māori New Zealanders, and only 12.5% of Māori have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 26.8% of non-Māori.
Also, a 2008 study by the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse showed that Māori women and children are more likely to experience domestic violence than any other ethnic group.
Health
In 2017–2019, life expectancy for Māori in New Zealand was 73.4 years for males and 77.1 years for females, compared to 80.9 years for non-Māori males and 84.4 years for non-Māori females, a difference of 7.5 and 7.3 years respectively.
However, Māori have a wide range of life expectancies across regions: Māori living in the
Marlborough region have the highest life expectancy at 79.9 years for males and 83.4 years for females, while Māori living in the
Gisborne region have the lowest life expectancy at 71.2 years for males and 75.2 years for females.
Māori suffer more health problems, including higher levels of alcohol and drug abuse, smoking and obesity. Less frequent use of healthcare services mean that late diagnosis and treatment intervention lead to higher levels of morbidity and mortality in many manageable conditions. Compared with non-Māori, Māori people experience higher rates of
heart disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...
,
stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
s, most
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
s,
respiratory disease
Respiratory diseases, or lung diseases, are pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals. They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the trachea, bronchi, ...
s,
rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammation#Disorders, inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal throat infection. Si ...
,
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
and
self-harm
Self-harm refers to intentional behaviors that cause harm to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues, usually without suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-abuse, self-injury, and s ...
, and
infant deaths.
In April 2021,
the government announced the creation of the first dedicated Māori Health Authority "with the power to directly commission health services for Māori and to partner with Health NZ in other aspects of the health system".
Commerce
Wider commercial exposure has increased public awareness of the Māori culture, but has also resulted in several legal disputes. Between 1998 and 2006,
Ngāti Toa
Ngāti Toa, also called Ngāti Toarangatira or Ngāti Toa Rangatira, is a Māori people, Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) based in the southern North Island and the northern South Island of New Zealand. Ngāti Toa remains a small iwi with a population of ...
attempted to trademark the "" to prevent its use by commercial organisations without their permission. In 2001, Danish toymaker Lego
faced legal action by several Māori tribal groups opposed to them trademarking Māori words used in the Bionicle product range.
Political representation

Māori have been represented to
the Crown
The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
in New Zealand politics since the
Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand, before the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Being a traditionally tribal people, no one organisation ostensibly speaks for all Māori nationwide. The
Māori King Movement
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
() originated in the 1860s as an attempt by several to unify under one leader; in modern times, it serves a largely ceremonial role. Another attempt at political unity was the Kotahitanga Movement, which established a separate Māori Parliament that held annual sessions from 1892 until its last sitting in 1902.
Māori have had
reserved seats
In government, several Constitutionalism, constitutional arrangements use reserved political positions, especially when endeavoring to ensure the rights of women, Minority group, minorities or other segments of society, or preserving a political ...
in the
New Zealand Parliament
The New Zealand Parliament () is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the Monarchy of New Zealand, Sovereign and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is usually represented by his Governor-General of New Zeal ...
since 1868.
Māori received
universal suffrage
Universal suffrage or universal franchise ensures the right to vote for as many people bound by a government's laws as possible, as supported by the " one person, one vote" principle. For many, the term universal suffrage assumes the exclusion ...
with other New Zealand citizens in 1893. Currently, Māori reserved electorates account for seven of the 120 seats in New Zealand's unicameral parliament, and consideration of and consultation with Māori have become routine requirements for councils and government organisations.
The contesting of these seats was the first opportunity for many Māori to participate in New Zealand elections, although the elected Māori representatives initially struggled to assert significant influence.
Sir Āpirana Ngata has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have served in Parliament in the mid-20th century.
Debate occurs frequently as to the relevance and legitimacy of the separate
electoral roll
An electoral roll (variously called an electoral register, voters roll, voters list, poll book or other description) is a compilation that lists persons who are entitled to vote for particular elections in a particular jurisdiction. The list is ...
and the reserved seats. The National Party announced in 2008 it would abolish the seats when all historic Treaty settlements have been resolved, which it aimed to complete by 2014. However, after the election National reached an agreement with the Māori Party not to abolish the seats until Māori give their approval.
Several Māori political parties have formed over the years to improve the position of Māori in New Zealand society. The present
Māori Party
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, formed in 2004, secured 1.32 per cent of the
party vote at the
2014 general election and held two seats in the
51st New Zealand Parliament, with two MPs serving as Ministers outside
Cabinet. The party did not achieve any representatives in the
52nd New Zealand Parliament, but regained two seats in the
53rd.
Following the 2020 reelection of the
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party, also known simply as Labour (), is a Centre-left politics, centre-left political party in New Zealand. The party's platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism, while observers descri ...
to government, Labour Minister
Nanaia Mahuta became the first female Māori
Foreign Minister of New Zealand; she replaced
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician. He has led the political party New Zealand First since he founded it in 1993, and since November 2023 has served as the 25th Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand), ...
, also Māori, in the role. In 2016 she became the first Member of Parliament to have (the traditional Māori female facial tattoo). In the 2020 election more MPs with entered Parliament, including Māori Party co-leader
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice.
Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...
MP
Elizabeth Kerekere.
The
54th Parliament after the
2023 New Zealand general election
The 2023 New Zealand general election was held on 14 October 2023 to determine the composition of the 54th New Zealand Parliament, 54th Parliament of New Zealand. Voters elected 122 members to the unicameral New Zealand House of Representatives ...
has seen a historically high number of Māori MPs at 33. Māori are at 27% of the parliament while in the general population they are 17%.
See also
*
List of planetary features with Māori names
*
:New Zealand Māori people
*
List of Māori organisations
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
* Howe, Kerry (2006). "Ideas of Māori Origins". In ''Māori Peoples of New Zealand: Ngā Iwi o Aotearoa''. Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Auckland: David Bateman.
* Irwin, Geoffrey (2006). "Pacific Migrations". In ''Māori Peoples of New Zealand: Ngā Iwi o Aotearoa''. Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Auckland: David Bateman.
*
*
*
* McIntosh, Tracey (2005), 'Maori Identities: Fixed, Fluid, Forced', in James H. Liu, Tim McCreanor, Tracey McIntosh and Teresia Teaiwa, eds, ''New Zealand Identities: Departures and Destinations'', Wellington:
Victoria University Press
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Entry on the Māori peoplein
Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maori
Indigenous peoples of New Zealand