Hamilton man's face moko sparks gender debate
Friday, 5 August 2016
A Hamilton man is pushing cultural boundaries by having a tā moko tattooed on his chin, an artform traditionally reserved for Māori women.
Patrick Salmon's whakapapa is etched across his lips, along his jawline and down his chin. Each line of ink tells a story. But what the lines do not speak of is the rift the moko has caused between Salmon and those in Māoridom, who believe moko kauae - the traditional chin tattoo - should be worn only by women.
The drive to Kokohinau Marae is a poignant moment for the 29 year old. A bare-faced Salmon is behind the wheel, his wife, Chelsea, sits at his side and his three daughters, aged four, five and six, sit quietly at the back. This will be the last time his daughters will see their father as he is, with a naked chin.
A convoy of Salmon's whānau followed behind, including his mum, uncles, aunties and cousins. There are no nerves, just the furor of realising a 20-year dream.
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Te Teko is Salmon's hometown, Kokohinau is his marae, Ngāti Awa his iwi. The mokopapa wananga attracts 150 people who have come to see him and other whānau have their moko done. The moko took two hours, but Salmon said it felt like 10 minutes.
The moko has healed nicely after five weeks. It fits on his face like it was always meant to be there.
Salmon said the reason for the placement of his moko was for no other reason than that's where he wanted to start it.
'Because it's on my chin, people automatically assume it's a woman's moko, but it's not gender labelled. Having a chin doesn't mean that you're a lady.
'Moko is an in-depth thing, it's not shallow where you can just use ten or twelve words to describe it. It's much more meaningful.'
The moko on each side of his jaw are ngā huru o te rangi - two feathers of the sky, night and day - and represent balance. The outer edges of his moko represent wairua - 'wai' meaning water and 'rua' meaning two. The two waters are his mother and father.
'They're two faces looking at each other - and then their child is 'a'.
'And that's the two eyes, the nose and the tongue looking out. It represents aspiration, innovation and progression and it's a reminder to myself and what I choose to practise.'
Salmon is soft-spoken and feminine. He admits he does not fit the 'gender norms', but for him, the journey to tā moko is spiritual, not physical. He works at a Māori organisation and part-time as a hairdresser. He said far from hindering his work, his moko will, and has, been celebrated.
'My decision to get mau moko [face tattoo], really, was a spiritual decision for myself. I felt yielded to it, almost.
'It was something I had thought about for years, I was about seven when I started talking about moko.
'I'm not the first male to mau moko like this, or moko kauae.
'My first cousin, for example, was present at the papa wananga when I got my moko done and he shared his story. He's had his for 13 years.'
Traditionally, women acquired moko kauae on the basis of their mana, established through their whakapapa. They were nominated by their hapū to ensure there was a woman of mana to represent them on the marae.
The kirituhi (artist) behind the moko is Patrick Takoko.
He said this is not the exposure he wants for an artform that is deeply seated in culture and custom.
'I do not agree with the path that Patrick Salmon has taken. I would not do a kauae tehe on a male.
'I agreed to this work under the condition that it be made understood and made clear that the work is incomplete and that this is the first stage.'
Takoko stayed silent on the issue and only spoke out because he was concerned Salmon would not complete the moko.
'The sections that are completed, I felt indicated that there was more to come and this, allied with a consistent statement that it was incomplete, should have been enough.
'I will say this: Retrospect is a wonderful thing. Would I do this again? No. I engaged in this work under an umbrella of trust and my hope is that this work could be completed under that same umbrella.
'I have prepared a space for the completion of his work and that is the way that space will stay until his work is completed.'
Although there has been constructive korero around moko, Takoko says there has been a lot of anger.
'I have at no stage stated that I am the creator of a new brand of moko kauae for men, hika! At this stage, we have completed the pukauae and the putaringa sections of his moko.
'I do encourage robust korero that is grounded in our culture and considered from every perspective. He iwi amuamu, he iwi ora.'
He also posed a question about whether Māori culture was one that had been formed over a millennia.
'If so, how much of that culture remains today and has it been greatly influenced and/or changed post contact?
'The decision to leave stage one of Patrick's moko where it currently sits was one that I agreed to. The kaupapa that Patrick gave was one that I deemed acceptable. I understand that it is provocative, but I am fifty percent responsible as we both needed to agree.
'The Patrick Salmon I met then is not the Patrick Salmon I know now.'
Takoko's words have been backed by another moko artist, who feels the controversy has detracted from what is important.
'To everyday Aotearoa, these Māori artists and the artform of tā moko became and still is challenging to some sectors,' says uhi moko artist Henriata Nicholas.
'tā moko has always been a contentious artform for our communities because this artform is showcased by living canvases who are not static, nor are they quiet.
'There will always be a desire to evolve this artform by the wearer and artist because it is an ultimate statement of rangatiratanga [principality and freedom].'
In recent years, moko have been appropriated by overseas celebrities and advertisers, to much criticism. British singer Robbie Williams and American boxer Mike Tyson have taken Māori tattoos, and fashion designers have used moko on the catwalk.
Nicholas said people now have a new love affair with moko.
'When a Māori artist was asked to tā moko the skin of Robbie Williams, he was damned by his peers as selling out the artform for working on a non-Māori. Today we are debating whether or not a male should have the right to wear moko on his chin,' Nicholas says.
'tā moko has transformed over the years since a few brave Māori artists moved from whakairo on to skin in the '80s. This began a reclamation of an artform that some thought should be left in the past. For the artists, they were reviving an artform that had never stopped. They began to work with Pakeha tattooists who, along with Māori in rural communities, were keeping the artform alive. Why? Because there was a desire by Māori to be marked.'
Nicholas says there are many conversations between the artist and wearer before the marks appear on the skin.
'For me as an uhi artist, I am always honoured when someone gifts me skin. However, when someone makes that ultimate decision to wear moko on their kanohi [face], there is an instant need to up the level of artistic quality. This is a person's face, the most tapu part of a person. It should be treated with the upmost respect and acknowledgement.
'For the wearer, it is a huge decision to take on something that instantly refers to your culture in a space so openly public. You are saying to everyone who views it that you have claimed your rangatiratanga status. The decision to take a moko kanohi on is a decision that is not made lightly and it should never be viewed as such.'
Patrick Salmon said for now, his moko is complete.
'It's where I wanted to start, it's a graduation. I won't say it's incomplete, because this part of my moko is complete. However, there are other stages and they will represent other milestones in my life.
'When I depart this place, I want to tell a really good story, so I'm more interested in putting on aspirations of my own. I haven't taken the more traditional role, which is around genealogy, even though that's encompassed in my moko.
'The best moko should always be your last moko.'