The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. They first arrived in the 14th century from eastern Polynesia, settling in the North Island. There are approximately 600,000 Maori living in New Zealand today, speaking both Maori and English. Traditional Maori culture placed importance on face tattoos, wood carvings, and ceremonies held in communal spaces called marae. While adopting some western customs, the Maori maintain aspects of their cultural identity, such as dance, songs, and foods like those cooked using heated rocks in a pit.