Indigenous People of New Zealand

Their indigenous groups

The Māori people are the indigenous people of Anotearoa the name that is now known as New Zealand. They are the first to arrive here in Waka Hourua, which are voyaging canoes from their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki over 1000 years ago. Today Māori people make up of over 14 percent of the New Zealand population. Their Language and culture has a major impact on all the facets of New Zealand life. 

The way the old Maoris looked like

Today, about 80 percent of the Maoris live in urban areas of New Zealand. However until the 1920s , they lived almost entirely in rural areas. Maori housing today therefore typically reflects that of an urban New Zealander.

The Modern Maori family

Traditionally, Maoris in coastal areas relied on travel by canoes. These included single-hulled canoes as well as large double hulled canoes. Waka Taua were large Maori War canoes that were powered  by both sail and paddles. as with other New  Zealanders, travel today is by modern road, rail water and air transport. 

The Traditional Maori War Canoe