For many Maori people, the most significant issue in New Zealand remains that of the land. Acutely conscious of the injustices of European land dealings in the 19th century, they are suspicious of any moves toward changes of land law that are initiated by the government. Formerly, land defined as “Maori land” could be sold by its owners only after the approval of a special court, but later legislation made it easier for Maori to sell their ancestral land. There is a strong body of Maori opinion, however, which holds that land is held in trust by one generation for the next. Maori groups recovered significant land settlements from the New Zealand government in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Use context clues from the text above to determine who the Maori are.
