New Zealand yaive imwe yenyika huru dzekupedzisira kugadziriswa nevanhu. Radiocarbon kufambidzana, humbowo hwekuparadzwa kwemasango uye mitochondrial DNA kusiyanisa mukati mevanhu veMaori zvinoratidza kuti New Zealand yakatanga kugadziriswa neEastern Polynesians pakati pa1250 na1300, ichipedzisa nhevedzano yakareba yekufamba kuburikidza nezvitsuwa zvekumaodzanyemba kwePacific. Kwemazana emakore akatevera, vagari ava vakagadzira tsika yakasarudzika inozivikanwa seMaori. Vagari vacho vakapatsanurwa kuita iwi (madzinza) uye hapū (madzinza) avo dzimwe nguva vaishandira pamwe, dzimwe nguva vachikwikwidza uye dzimwe nguva vachirwisana. Pane imwe nguva boka revaMaori rakatamira kuReikohu, ikozvino inozivikanwa seChatham Islands, kwavakagadzira tsika yavo yeMoriori.
iwi (madzinza) uye hapū (madzinza maduku)