The long and intriguing story of the origine of the indigenous Maori people can be traced back to the 13th century, the mythical homeland Hawaiki, Eastern Polynesia. Due to centuries of isolation, the Maori established a distinct society with characteristic art, a separate language and unique mythology. Defining aspects of Maori traditional culture include art, dance, legends, tattoos and community. While the arrival of European colonists in the 18th centure had a profound impact on the Maori way of life, many aspects of traditional society have survived into the 21th century.

“The girl behind the camera and the girl in front of the camera”, May 2012. (Photo by: Mandy Rosen; Source: Flickr)

Classic car owners taking part in the “2011 Jordan Classic” arrive at the ancient Roman city of Jerash on October 31, 2011 in Jerash, Jordan. The 2011 Jordan Classic takes in world famous sites such as the Dead Sea and Petra. (Photo by Salah Malkawi/ Getty Images)

Women joke around as they pose for photographs in front of a large dragon made of flowers at the Sentosa Flowers festival on January 22, 2012 on Sentosa Island, Singapore. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Laura Titch, dressed as Mary of Guise, and Duncan Maclachlan, dressed as Alexander of Stewart, rehearse for Stirling Castle's grand renaissance palace opening on June 3, 2011 in Stirling, Scotland. The palace has been closed for two years, while a Ј12 million pound project was undertaken to return the palace to how it might have looked back in the 1540s, when it was home to Mary of Guise, the widow of James V. Their daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, was raised there before living in France. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

A person takes a photo of the skyline with the Shard building in the center, at sunset, from Greenwich Park in London, Tuesday, November 24, 2020. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Wire via AP Photo)