It is well known that the Maori, particularly of the older generation, has a great veneration for his ancestors and the land which was theirs and is now his. When the history of Maori ownership of land is known, then one can understand their "pride of possession", which after all is a characteristic not limited to the Maori people. For example, in England landed estates have been handed down to generation after generation over the centuries and in New Zealand there are many instances of land still being owned and occupied by the descendants of the original pioneer settlers.