Exposé en anglais sur la découverte de la Nouvelle Zélande

The first Men arrived on the islands probably between the 11th and 14th centuries. These men are Polynesians who arrived by boat. They are the ones who will populate the islands and found the Maori culture that still exists today.

The first European explorers were Dutch. They arrived in 1642, the Dutch East India Company sent Abel Tasman, who approached the southern island of New Zealand. He immediately left in the face of hostility from the natives.

These first reports describe Māoris as a race of fierce and proud warriors. Inter-tribal conflicts frequently occur during this period, the victors enslave the defeated and sometimes devour them.

From the beginning of 1780, the Māoris had contacts with whalers and sealers. Some have even been hired on foreign ships.

In  1769, James Cook discovered the country and claimed it on behalf of the British Crown. At that time, the total population did not exceed 125,000 inhabitants. But it was only at the beginning of the 19th century that Europeans set up colonies, particularly in the Bay of Islands.

Maori culture is manifested through the songs, myths and stories that connect today's inhabitants with their ancestors.

Traditional tattooing is part of Maori culture.  These tattoos are called Mok

The haka is a sung dance, a ritual of the South Pacific islanders practiced during conflicts, demonstrations of protest, ceremonies or friendly competitions to impress opponents, which the Māori have made world famous through the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, which performs it before its matches since 1905

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