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Politics Nanaia Mahuta made history this week when she was appointed New Zealand’s indigenous Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs.
But for those with traditional Maori tattoos, known as moko, she has been breaking down barriers for a long time. In 2016, after participating in a Maori tattoo design ceremony, Mahuta became the first female member of parliament to wear lip and chin marks, or moko kauae.
Traditional tattoos offer “positive ways to allow cultural expression and pride in being Maori,” he tweeted last year.
Kirituhi and Tā Moko are positive ways of allowing cultural expression and pride of being Maori #recognition
– Nanaia Mahuta (@NanaiaMahuta) March 21, 2019
While still a rare sight in national politics, facial moko are increasingly common in contemporary New Zealand society. Tattoos often carry great cultural significance to the wearer, telling a visual story that connects indigenous peoples with their ancestors.
Each individual’s moko is unique and can be related to their social status, occupation, or personal and family history. The complex designs also allude to the user’s genealogy (which in Mahuta’s case links it to the late Maori queen, Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu and the current Maori monarch, Kingi Tuheitia, according to Radio New Zealand).
The marks on the left and right sides of the face refer to the lineage of a person’s father and mother, respectively.
For Te Kahautu Maxwell, associate professor at the University of Waikato (and great-great-grandson of a moko artist), getting a facial tattoo about 10 years ago was about “reclaiming” his heritage.
“It is about my heritage and my place in society as a historian, academic and speaker or spokesperson for my people,” he said in a telephone interview. “It gives me a sense of pride and it gives my people a sense of pride.” It also tells the story of my life, ”he added. “It is something that is very sacred and precious to me.”
Steeped in tradition
The tattoo practice, known as tā moko, is believed to take its name from Rūaumoko, the Maori god of earthquakes and volcanoes.
A common origin story involves a mythological figure, Mataoro, who fell in love with and married Niwareka, the daughter of a ruler of the underworld. After beating her in a fit of rage, Mataoro followed his wife to the underworld in search of forgiveness.
While there, Niwareka’s father taught him the art of tā moko and, sanctioning his return to the “higher” world, marked him with tattoos as a reminder to prevent future acts of evil.
Historically, Moko ceremonies have been surrounded by customs and rituals. They were often carried out in temporary outdoor shelters, and the tattooed person was only allowed to eat through a carved funnel, which also helped reduce the likelihood of infection.
The recipient is expected to refrain from sexual contact or washing while healing.
Traditionally, men had markings on their face, buttocks, and thighs, while women generally wore them on their lips and chin.
Although tattooing has been practiced in Polynesian societies for centuries, Maori groups developed their own specific techniques and tools.
Organic pigments, made by burning kauri tree resin and mixing the soot with oil or other liquids, would be chiselled under the upper layers of the skin with tools forged from bird bones, commonly albatrosses. (In the early 20th century, the use of needles became more common, while modern tattoo machines are also used today.)
The prevalence of facial moko declined after the arrival of Europeans, especially as the preserved heads of tattooed Maori warriors became highly coveted among colonizers. The association of facial tattoos with gangs or criminality in other cultures may also have contributed to its decline.
But with a renewed interest in traditional Maori art forms such as wood carving and the growing acceptance of tattoos in New Zealand society at large, the art of tā moko has seen a resurgence in recent decades.
Maxwell, 54, said the “normalization” of traditional tattoos in New Zealand began in the 1990s and 2000s, after earlier generations distanced themselves from the practice.
“There was a lot of negativity, not only from non-Maori communities, but also from our own communities, because our parents and grandparents thought that moko should be left in the past.
“But we, the younger generation of that time, were not prepared to let the art form become a memory, (so we decided) to bring it back as a living art form and announce to the world that we are Maori.” .
Opportunities to educate
While Maxwell said he had “not experienced any stigma” as a result of his moko, there have been periodic reports that indigenous people are denied service in bars or restaurants as a result of having visible tattoos.
However, there are also a growing number of high-profile figures with facial markings in New Zealand society, such as journalist Oriini Kaipara, who last year became the first woman with moko kauae to present the news on a news station. conventional television.
With increasing visibility, cases of alleged cultural appropriation have appeared. Mike Tyson, Rihanna, and British pop star Robbie Williams have come under fire for adopting Maori-style tattoos in recent years. Fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier also generated controversy in 2007, when he applied moko-inspired designs to the faces of Caucasian models for a fashion campaign.
Maxwell, however, welcomes the interest of other cultures, seeing it as an opportunity to educate people on Maori traditions.
He described the recent appointment of Mahuta as one of those opportunities, considering it a “significant moment” for indigenous communities.
“It will take moko to places where it has never been before: consulates, embassies and government offices around the world,” he said.
Rukuwai Tipene-Allen, a political journalist for Māori Television who uses a facial moko in the meantime, said the appointment “shows that our culture has a place internationally.”
“The first face that people see internationally is someone who speaks, looks and sounds like a Maori,” he told CNN earlier this week, adding: “Wearing your ancestors’ marks will It shows people that there are no borders for Maori and where they can go. “
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