The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, which is a large island country in the South Pacific Ocean near Australia. While some Maori continue traditional cultural practices, others live modern, non-traditional lives. Two traditional Maori cultural practices are the haka war dance, now performed for ceremonies rather than war, and ta moko tattooing or painting designs on faces and bodies. However, like other colonized peoples, many Maori now struggle with issues such as poverty, alcoholism, and drug abuse.