This article was first published by RNZ
Tā moko, the sacred art of Māori tattooing, carries the mana of generations.
As told by the many who wear moko, these taonga are far more than skin deep - they are a physical manifestation of identity, whakapapa, and belonging.
But over the years, colonial influences and misconceptions have clouded the understanding of moko, leading to hesitations among those seeking to reclaim their taonga.
Tūranga Edmonds (Ngāti Rarua, Ngātiwai, Ngāpuhi), Bass player for Alien Weaponry and Cultural content creator, uses his social platform to educate people on traditional Māori practices, including moko.
He acknowledged that he is not a tohunga tā moko (practitioner of moko), but rather a kaiwhiwhi (someone who has moko).
“I don’t uphold the history and practice of moko in the same way as a trained moko artist,” Edmonds said.
However, through interviews and learning from moko artists for his series 'Kōrero with Creators' he has gathered insights into some of the most frequently asked pātai regarding moko.
Moko kanohi, a receipt of coming-of-age
There are many kōrero of what pre-colonial standards were for receiving moko kanohi, Edmonds said.
“But the most common reason I have heard in my learnings was as a coming-of-age process, I.E. women getting their period for the first time.”
“In the case of mataora, a young man might get the area around his mouth done (like myself), and as that man went through life and made certain achievements, more would be added, which is why the Rangatira are so often represented with full facial moko.”
Pre-colonial tikanga around moko kanohi varied between iwi, and these traditions differed greatly across rohe (regions), he said.
“There are definitely different tikanga for different iwi and this is what I think causes so much of the disagreement or misunderstandings surrounding moko kanohi today.”
He said, just because a tikanga is a certain way for someone, does not mean it is the same for somebody else.
“It also importantly, doesn’t make it any less valuable or “correct”. For example, I have heard that the blacked-out lips in some regions mean the wearer can speak te reo Māori, but in others, it means they’re a competent kaikaranga, or sometimes it represents something else again entirely.”
Edmonds said, “different symbols, protocols and rituals differ iwi to iwi, like many other aspects of te ao Maori.”
The decline of moko and Māori practices
At the hands of colonisation, sacred Māori practices would become less common and Māori culture and traditions were ultimately suppressed. This lead to a disconnection from ancestral knowledge and identity for many Māori.
Edmonds said, “there are many factors at play as to why these practices were nearly lost,” but the simple answer is colonisation.
“The Tohunga Suppression Act, the moko head trade, societal norms of the era where facial tattoos were seen as “savage” or “barbaric”, and religious influence to name a few, all played their part in the near extinction of this tradition.”
Despite these challenges, moko is experiencing a powerful resurgence.
“Thankfully the revival of moko and moko kanohi specifically is absolutely on the rise,” Edmonds said.
“Every day I receive messages on my social media platforms from Māori saying that they have been inspired, educated or decolonised in their thought patterns surrounding moko, thanks to the knowledge shared by the amazing moko artists that I have been highlighting and have either received their moko kanohi because of it or have at least started the journey to learn and receive their taonga, their birthright.”
Common Misconceptions About Moko
Based on the thousands of questions Edmonds has received surrounding moko kanohi and cross-referencing those with the teachings of the various moko artists he has spoken with, he believes the three biggest misconceptions in receiving moko kanohi are; fluency in te reo Māori, the need to ‘earn moko’ and being ‘full blooded Māori.’
“There will always be variations in tikanga depending on where you are from, however, not a single moko artist I have spoken to thinks you have to be fluent to receive moko kanohi,” he said.
“A lot of people see moko kanohi as the end goal, whereas in reality, it can be the stepping stone into te ao Māori.”
Edmonds said some moko artists even said that in their experience, those who put up the barrier of needing to learn te reo before receiving moko kanohi ended up achieving neither milestone.
“But those who got moko kanohi first, to be that “daily reminder of their Māoritanga and/or the dedication they’ve made to te ao Māori, ended up achieving fluency later in life.”
The whakaaro of needing to ‘earn’ moko reflects the same essence as the fluency restriction, Edmonds said.
“I have heard many ways that we as Māori feel we can “earn” moko but most of the time moko artists will tell you that none of them outside of being Māori are real restrictions. "
“Moko is your birthright as Māori. Simple as that.”
Not being ‘full-blooded’ Māori is another misconception Edmonds believes holds people back from receiving their facial moko, and is “easily” the most common pātai he is asked.
“The concept of blood quantum is a colonial weapon used against indigenous groups all over the world so that the coloniser can decide who deserves what, based on their own rules for ethnic identity.”
Edmonds said te ao Māori does not follow the concept of blood quantum, but instead uses whakapapa.
“If you whakapapa Māori then you are Māori, and are entitled to all things Māori including moko.”
He added that it is 2024, and Māori and non-Māori have been living alongside one another “long enough that there are a lot of us out there who share mixed ancestry and that doesn’t make you any less worthy.”
‘The biggest and proudest decision of my life’- Edmonds on receiving moko
For Edmonds, receiving his mataora at 25 was a moment of pride, and the “biggest and proudest decision” of his life.
What made it even more special was his mum received her moko kauae on the very same day.
“It was one that I had been wanting for as long as I knew what a mataora was.”
Edmonds grew up proudly Māori, but he said even then, at one point he believed all those misconceptions listed above.
“[These] were all hurdles that kept me back until I woke up one day and the feeling just clicked, and I knew it was time.”
- This article is part of an ongoing mau moko kanohi series, sharing the journeys of individuals reclaiming their taonga and embracing their Māoritanga.