Tā moko is not a fashion statement or scribble - it's about birthright
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
When I first saw Sally Anderson's moko kauae I assumed she had Māori ancestry and it was her link to them.
But Anderson is not Māori, she is a Pākehā woman. Her husband, Roger Te Tai has a full facial moko or mataora. He supports his wife's decision and hit back at critics on Te Karere saying 'she is more Māori than you'll ever be'.
Anderson's chin tattoo is distinctively Māori in design. Artist Inia Taylor has publicly apologised for doing the work after the backlash, and he asked Anderson to stop using the tā moko for commercial gain. She has since removed marketing images she's been using online to promote her life coaching business.
Taylor says he did the tā moko because he didn't want to be a racist.
**READ MORE:
* Life coach Sally Anderson faces backlash over facial moko
* Moko kauae are the sole right of Māori women
* The Guru: Investors bankrolled Sally Anderson's life coaching business**
So, what's wrong with Sally Anderson having a moko kauae? And is it racist to think only Māori women are entitled to wear it?
Hina Matarau, the national indigenous women's collective, released a statement in response to Sally Anderson's story.
They're unapologetic and say only a woman with Māori ancestry is entitled to wear a moko kauae. They don't think tikanga, customary practice or te reo Māori is a requirement either.
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiarangi Associate Professor Mera Lee-Penehira says: 'Moko kauae is the sole right of Māori women. Not only is it 'okay' to make a race-based decision in applying moko kauae, but it is a 'requirement'.'
Unlike the Hina Matarau collective, I do believe the wearer has an obligation to have some tikanga and reo Māori fluency. But the wearer doesn't have to be steeped in it because not all Māori are. If it was a prerequisite, the traditions of tā moko would be lost.
Traditionally, moko kauae is for Māori women not men. It is a display of their turangawaewae, who they are and where they are from. Tā moko is not a fashion statement or scribble as described by critic David Rankin on Newshub.
The drawing of Māori designs on the faces of children and performers for fun or entertainment does not attract the same level of criticism.
The traditional art form, tā moko is different to the modern form called kirituhi, skin art - popular tattoos worn elsewhere on the body instead of on the customary face, thighs or buttocks.
A moko kauae is part of a Māori woman's personal journey and the decision of when or if she wears a moko kauae belongs to her, usually in consultation with her whānau and kaumātua or elders. Not all women with moko kauae are fluent in te reo Māori or have a great understanding of tikanga.
Many change their lifestyles in preparation and they generally know they will be judged more for their actions with a moko kauae than without one. There is an understanding to uphold mana wahine Māori. If I have to explain the term, then you definitely should not have a moko kauae.
Critics see moko kauae as ink on the skin, a tattoo and a choice anyone can make but others attach meaning and traditional customary practice to the moko kauae.
So one view is it's a tattoo, but others see it as a moko kauae - and this is the problem, understanding the difference.
Nowadays, more marae and iwi are hosting tā moko wānanga for large groups of women and men to not only receive but also to learn about the tradition and partake in the rituals.
It is the right of every Māori woman to receive a moko kauae - if they want to. I will one day soon, when I'm ready and my whānau support the decision.
Anderson and the tattoo artist should have agreed on a chin tattoo that reflected her own cultural heritage and healing journey she had undertaken.
I believe any woman who wants a chin tattoo can have one - just don't call it a moko kauae or use Māori designs if you're not Māori.