Moko kauae are the 'sole right' of Māori women: Indigenous Women's Collective

Wednesday, 23 May 2018

Life coach Sally Anderson had her moko kauae done about four years ago, after she was turned down by at least one artist.

A group of Māori women academics and artists has thrown fuel on the fire in the debate over whether Pākehā should have traditional facial tattoos - saying it's one area where it's acceptable to make a race-based decision.

The issue divided opinion after Stuff reported on Tuesday that life coach Sally Anderson had removed reference to her moko from some of her branding after an online backlash.

The artist who administered her moko kauae four years ago, Inia Taylor, accused her of 'flaunting' it and using it for commercial purposes.

He said on Facebook that to turn down Anderson and her whanau's request for a moko would have been racist.

Anderson has declined to comment but her husband, Roger Te Tai, who has a full facial moko, has defended her.

He told TVNZ's Te Karere it took him more than two years to accept it but now fully supported it.

'She's more Māori than you'll ever be because her heart is pure always has been,' he said.

Many people commented on social media that what people put on their bodies is their decision.

Associate professor Mera Lee-Penehira has said race-based decisions must be made for moko kauae.

The National Indigenous Women's Collective, Hina Matarau, said some would call the decision to give Anderson a moko kauae a 'heinous mistake' but the issue was even bigger.

'Moko kauae is the sole right of Māori women. Not only is it OK to make a race-based decision in applying moko kauae, but it is a requirement,' said Mera Lee-Penehira, an associate professor at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.

She said in her view, the gifting of moko to Pākehā was not the right of any Maori, male or female, regardless of what had happened in the past.

The group said as traditional skin carving gained popularity, moko artists were often asked to perform tribal work on non-Māori.

Moko artist Anikaaro Harawira said moko kauae was different.

'Putting it on Pākehā unravels and aggravates a long history of whakapapa (genealogy). It's hard enough to receive it as Māori because of the stigma and fear from colonisation, without seeing Pākehā parading it and using it as a business brand.'

Associate Professor Leonie Pihama said: 'Pākehā women wanting to take on our taonga of moko kauae and be justified in doing so smacks of white privilege. Māori women have been struggling to reclaim this taonga for generations and Pākehā women need to stop their co-option of our taonga.'

The group said it was concerned there was an assumption that Māori women needed to reach certain milestones before being 'worthy' of receiving a moko kauae but that was not the case.

'It does not mean you have to jump through extra hoops or reach anyone else's standards except your own and those of your whānau and hapū, in order to wear moko kauwae. As long as you are wahine Māori, this is yours as of right,' Lee-Penehira said.

Another academic, Ngahuia Murphy, said claims on social media that the indigenous women's collective would object to fair-skinned Maori being tattooed were incorrect.

'Skin colour is irrelevant. It is about whakapapa back to the tupuna, atua and our own spirituality. We have had the taonga of moko kauae stolen from us as well as our language and lands. The reclamation of this is for us.'