The Maori, the indigenous population of New Zealand, lived in isolation for a long time until Europeans discovered New Zealand during their explorations and began to exploit it for their own purposes. This led to extensive conflicts, during which the Maori people were visibly disadvantaged and decimated over decades. The paper aims to clarify questions such as how the conflict with the white Europeans (Pakeha) arose and why the Maoris refer to the Treaty of Waitangi when discussing the most significant treaty in their history. It is important to shed light on the historical circumstances and to view the current situation of the Maori in this context. Furthermore, it will be examined to what extent the government is making efforts to address the injustices faced by the Maori people and whether the situation is currently improving.