Maori

Maori, original inhabitants of New Zealand. Of Polynesian origin, they settled New Zealand between 800 and 1350 and were hunters and farmers. They lived in small villages of communal homes and each village shared a common ancestry. In the 1860s they fought the English colonists and lost most of their lands. Today many still practice the old customs and speak the Maori tongue, a language related to Tahitian and Hawaiian.