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.

A surfer runs down the beach past hundreds of Barbie dolls comprising the sculpture 'Wave 2' by West Australian artist Annette Thas on Tamarama Beach during the 19th annual Sculptures by the Sea exhibition in Sydney, October 23, 2015. Sydney's coastal walk between Bondi and Tamarama has been transformed into a temporary sculpture park featuring over 100 sculptures from Australian and international artists, billed as the largest free sculpture exhibition in the world. (Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters)

Arsenal football supporters cheering from the train carriage window as they leave Euston Station, London, on their way to Birmingham for their team's match against Aston Villa which they lost 3-5. (Photo by Douglas Miller/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images). 19th November 1932

A model poses with “The Wellbeing Toilet” the winning entry from a Dyno-Rod Initiative to create a new design for the domestic toilet at Central Saint Martins on November 18, 2013 in London, England. The concept was commissioned to mark 50 years of Dyno-Rod and World Toilet Day on November 19th, 2013 The “Wellbeing Toilet” looks at the health and wellbeing aspect of getting rid of your bodily waste by being sculpted to enhance the position of your body by enabling you to squat rather than sit. (Photo by Miles Willis/Getty Images for Dyno-Rod)

An Egyptian worker prepares to lift parts of a statue at the site of a new archeological discovery at Souq Al-Khamis district in Al-Matareya area, Cairo, Egypt on March 9 2017. According to the Ministry of Antiquities, two 19th dynasty royal statues were found in parts in the vicinity of King Ramses II temple in ancient Heliopolis (Oun) Sun Temples by a German-Egyptian archeological mission. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Dania Ramirez attends the premiere of 20th Century Fox's “Dark Phoenix” at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 04, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Amanda Seyfried attends the premiere of 20th Century Fox's “The Art Of Racing In The Rain” at El Capitan Theatre on August 01, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)

Thousands of fireflies dance around Aurora Ghizzi Panizza, age 4, in the grounds of the 15th-century Castello di Torrechiara in Parma, Italy on July 16, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Ghizzi Panizza/Animal News Agency)