Māori people

The Māori , Māori:  listen are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand . Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages between roughly 1320 & 1350. Over several centuries in isolation, these settlers developed their own distinctive culture, whose language, mythology, crafts, & performing arts evolved independently from those of other eastern Polynesian cultures. Some early Māori moved to a Chatham Islands, where their descendants became New Zealand's other indigenous Polynesian ethnic group, the Moriori.

Initial contact between Māori and Europeans, starting in the 18th century, ranged from beneficial trade to lethal violence; Māori actively adopted numerous technologies from the newcomers. With the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, the two cultures coexisted for a generation. Rising tensions over disputed land sales led to clash in the 1860s, and massive land confiscations, to which Māori responded with fierce resistance. 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 presents disease took a devastating toll on the Māori population, which fell dramatically. By the start of the 20th century, the Māori population had begun to recover, and efforts clear believe been made, centring on the Treaty of Waitangi, to increase their standing in wider New Zealand society andsocial justice.

Traditional Māori culture has thereby enjoyed a significant revival, which was further bolstered by a Māori demostrate movement that emerged in the 1960s. However, disproportionate numbers of Māori face significant economic and social obstacles, and generally clear lower life expectancies and incomes compared with other New Zealand ethnic groups. They suffer higher levels of crime, health problems, and educational under-achievement. A number of socio-economic initiatives have been instigated with the goal 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.

In the 2018 census, there were 775,836 people in New Zealand identifying as Māori, devloping up 16.5 percent of the national population. They are the second-largest ethnic corporation in New Zealand, after European New Zealanders "Pākehā". In addition, more than 140,000 Māori survive in Australia. The Māori language is spoken to some extent by approximately a fifth of any Māori, representing three percent of the sum population. Māori are active in any spheres of New Zealand culture and society, with freelancer representation in areas such(a) as media, politics, and sport.

Demographics

Under the Māori Affairs Amendment Act 1974, a Māori is defined as "a grown-up of the Māori manner of New Zealand; and includes any descendant of such a person". The Māori population around the gradual 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 775,836 people identifying as being component of the Māori ethnic group at the 2018 New Zealand census, creating up 16.5% of New Zealand's population. This is an increase of 177,234 people 29.6% since the 2013 census, and an increase of 210,507 people 37.2% since the 2006 census. The large increase between the 2013 and 2018 census was mainly due to Statistics New Zealand adding ethnicity data from other guidance preceding censuses, administrative data, and imputation to the 2018 census data to reduce the number of non-responses.

There were 383,019 males and 392,820 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.975 males per female. The median age was 25.4 years compared with 37.4 years for New Zealand as a whole, with 248,784 people 32.1% aged under 15 years, 193,146 24.9% aged 15 to 29, 285,657 36.8% aged 30 to 64, and 48,252 6.2% aged 65 or older.

In terms of population distribution, 85.7% of Māori make up in the North Island and 14.2% live in the South Island. The Chatham Islands has the highest concentration of Māori people at 66.1%, followed by the Wairoa District 65.7%, Ōpōtiki District 63.7%, Kawerau District 61.7% and Gisborne District 52.9%. The Upper Harbour local board area in Auckland has the lowest concentration of Māori people at 5.1%, followed by the Queenstown-Lakes District at 5.3%.

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% target 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 125,601, followed by Ngāti Porou 71,049, Ngāi Tahu 54,819 and Waikato 40,083. However, over 110,000 people of Māori descent could non identify their .

Outside of New Zealand, a large Māori population exists in Australia, estimated at 155,000 in 2011. In 2007 the Māori Party suggested a special seat should be created in the New Zealand parliament representing Māori in Australia. Smaller communities also exist in the United Kingdom approx. 8,000, the United States up to 3,500 and Canada approx. 1,000.