Oceania

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64. The Māori

The Māori tell that their ancestors left the mythical island of Hawaiki in seven canoes (waka). When they reached the archipelago, each canoe gave rise to a tribe. Now, when they introduce themselves formally, the Māori often state the name of the waka they are descended from through their genealogy.

Aotearoa, "The Land of the Long White Cloud," was adopted by the Māori in the twentieth century to name New Zealand.

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