Like all native cultures, the Maori people of New Zealand have had an undeniable effect upon the origins and the future of the nation. The actual geographic and historic origin of the Maori people is relatively unclear as it stretches back perhaps millennia and is traceable only through sketchy archaeological evidence. Prior to the 20th century, little accurate or scientifically valid anthropological research had been completed on the Maori. However shrouded in history, the Maori have had a significant impact upon the formation and modern cultural identity of New Zealand. It is the purpose of this paper to examine, in brief, the nature of the historic Maori and their continued influence upon the current New Zealand’s cultural, economic, and political identity.