西元一六四二年，荷蘭人塔斯曼船長（Captain Abel Tasman）初次抵達紐西蘭，英人庫克船長（Captain Cook）於西元一七六九年率眾登陸探險。到了西元一八四○年，英國皇家艦長霍布遜氏（Captain William Hobson）“邀請”五十位毛利部落的酋長，雙方簽訂外旦奇（Waitangi）條約，這項合約的內容是將毛利的土地委託維多利亞女皇管轄。 二十年前，毛利人察覺到，他們的傳統文化正逐漸地從他們的故土消失。教育，因此成為復興毛利文化與自我認同的有效途徑。最後，在西元一九八九年十月，紐西蘭政府同意毛利的中小學推行自己的教育，但卻每年刪減每年的補助預算。截至今日，我們尚未看到有關紐西蘭新教育政策的評估報告，然而，可以得知的是，毛利人已了解到，任何來自主流社會的保護或是特別的協助，都有可能會破壞他們的傳統文化。

　　　　　The Duth Captain Abel Tasman arrived in New Zealand In 1642, and in 1769 Captain James Cook landed there. In the year of 1840 Captain William Hobson "invited" fifty Maori minor chiefs to sign the Treaty of Waitangi which mandated Maori's land to be governed by Queen Victoria. Two decades ago the Maori realized that their traditional culture was gradually diappearing from their homeland. Education then became the effective way to restore their culture and self identity. Finally, in October 1989, the New Zealand government agreed Maori elementary and middle schools to carry out their own education, but cut the annual budget. So far, we do not have the evalution of the new educational policy. However, we do know that maori realized that any protect and special aid from mainstream society could destroy their traditional culture.