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.

Children play in an outdoor shower as a soldier takes part in a surprise operation in the Manguinhos slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, January 18, 2018. Troops have been sent to Rio due to the increase of the violence, and in an attempt to help restore order, but so far have had little impact. The operation on Thursday took place three weeks ahead of Carnival, when thousands of tourists are expected to arrive in the city. (Photo by Leo Correa/AP Photo)

The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) has announced the winning images in its annual photography competition. The 2020 winners show the important work of zoos and aquariums at an immensely challenging time. After months of closures, these conservation organisations are reeling from the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Here: Runner-up, Heart and Minds: Nifty nose, by Samantha Allworthy at Longleat. Species: prehensile tailed porcupines. (Photo by Samantha Allworthy/BIAZA 2020 Photography Competition)

A handout photo made available by the NASA shows the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket launches NASA's Parker Solar Probe to touch the Sun, from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA, 12 August 2018. Parker Solar Probe is humanity’s first-ever mission into a part of the Sun’s atmosphere called the corona. Here it will directly explore solar processes that are key to understanding and forecasting space weather events that can impact life on Earth. (Photo by Bill Ingalls/EPA-EFE/NASA)

An aerial view of open pits of CODELCO's Andina (L) and Anglo American's Los Bronces copper mines with Olivares glaciers in the background (top L) at Los Andes Mountain range, near Santiago city, November 17, 2014. The rock glaciers of the Chilean central zone, a huge source of water for the basins of the capital, are said to be threatened by the environmental impacts of hydroelectric and mining projects, according to environmental activists Greenpeace. (Photo by Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

Muslim girls are seen after prayers, in Lagos, Nigeria, Friday, July 31, 2020. Small groups of pilgrims performed one of the final rites of the Islamic hajj on Friday as Muslims worldwide marked the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday amid a global pandemic that has impacted nearly every aspect of this year's pilgrimage and celebrations. The last days of hajj coincide with the four-day Eid al-Adha, or “Feast of Sacrifice”, in which Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute the meat to the poor. (Photo by Sunday Alamba/AP Photo)

A visitor takes a selfie with “The Breach” by Leandro Erlich, during a photo call for Kew Gardens' forthcoming “Food Forever” exhibition, examining the fragile future of food and the impact of our day-to-day eating habits on the planet, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, in Kew, Richmond, Surrey on Thursday, June 16, 2022. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images)

Fireworks go off while the beetle goes up in flames after being set on fire during the 11th annual Burning Beetle event on Saturday, January 20, 2024, at Pageant Park in Custer, S.D. The event was created in response to the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation a few years ago and continues to bring awareness to the impact of the beetles. (Photo by Matt Gade/Rapid City Journal via AP Photo)