 The linguistic similarity with the New Zealand Māori can be traced back to the 1834 arrival of a New Zealand man who acted as a translator for French missionaries.Cultural traits shared between the Mangarevan and Māori, like the story of Māui, can all be traced back to the New Zealand man's arrival as communication was clear due to linguistic similarities.The first explorers to document the people, traditions, and language of the Gambiers were the French who eventually annexed the islands in 1881.