What is a moko kauae?
Moko kauae – are received by women on their lips and chin. A moko kauae represents a woman’s whānau and leadership within her community, recognising her whakapapa, status, and abilities. It is a traditional taonga passed down over many generations from the ancestress Niwareka.
Can anyone get a Kirituhi?
Many artists still use the term Kirituhi when tattooing non-Maori recipients. Kirituhi, however has allowed non-Maori tattooers all over the world to imitate traditional Maori tattooing, using the label Kirituhi so as not to cause offence.
What is the significance of a moko?
Why are moko so important to Maori? Moko are carved into the skin using chisels. They are a sacred tradition, denoting a person’s links with their family and cultural identity.
What does Kirituhi mean?
marking the skin
Translated from Māori language Kirituhi means ‘marking the skin’. It is a contemporary tattoo art form based on Tā Moko. This tattoo artform is very unique from the perspective of creation, the tattoo tells a story of the wearer and also a story of the tattoo process itself.
Who can get a mataora?
Mataora & Kauae are reservedly for those of Maori descent only. To wear the markings of your ancestors proudly, it is necessary to also understand the history of these markings.
Can Pakeha get Māori tattoos?
Moko is uniquely Māori and it is strictly reserved to be done by Māori, for Māori. If either the recipient or tattooer do not have Māori whakapapa, then the resulting design is a Māori Style tattoo or kirituhi, NOT moko.
Is it disrespectful to have Māori tattoo?
If your heritage is not Maori, do not get a Maori tattoo. It is disrespectful in every way even if its not meant to be.
Is moko Kauae Tapu?
However, not all women of mana acquired moko kauae – sometimes for the very reason that they were considered too tapu to receive one. One of the few recorded examples of such a woman who was deemed too tapu to be tattooed was Mihi Kōtukutuku, a woman of high rank from Te Whānau-a-Apanui and Ngāti Porou.
Are Māori tattoos permanent?
Tā moko is the permanent marking or “tattoo” as traditionally practised by Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand.
Can a Pākehā get a Ta Moko?
Can Pākehā get moko Kauae?
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Associate Professor Mera Lee-Penehira said moko kauae, worn on a woman’s chin, was the sole right of Māori women. “Not only is it not okay to make a race-based decision in applying moko kauae, but it is a requirement.
Can anyone wear a moko?
In less than one generation that thinking has been largely discarded, as part of a deliberate “decolonising” of those perceived barriers – and as a result the practice of moko kauae is widespread, with a general consensus that the only eligibility criterion is whakapapa – if you are a Māori woman, you have the right to …
Can a woman be a tohunga?
The importance, role and practices of female tohunga have been to some extent been ignored, or briefly touched upon by twentieth century scholars, and has only been explored with greater depth in modern times.
Why do Māori make that face?
Traditionally, men received Mataora on their face – as a symbol of nobility. As māori believe the head is the most sacred part of the body, facial tattoos have special significance. Moko kauae – are received by women on their lips and chin.
What are Maori weapons called?
Maori hand clubs (Mere) were one hand weapons. Carried into battle usually stuck in the back of the belt or girdle (tatua). All short hand weapons attached to the wrist by means of a cord of plaited fiber of the harakeke (phormium tenax).
Why do Maori weapons have carvings?
The Maori like other Polynesians believed that objects could gain a life of their own. They were capable of absorbing mana and were not just things use to fight but objects with spiritual power. The carvings found on weapons are not decoration they give power to these objects.
How did the Maori fight their enemies?
Open/Close MenuWars between Maori tribes were commonplace. Fighting usually took place over territory. Maori warriors were fierce in battle and the fate of their enemies, when captured, usually involved being eaten or having their heads shrunk as trophies.
What did Maori warriors do?
Maori warriors were experts in the art of ambush and surprise raids, appearing and disappearing swiftly and noiselessly into the thick New Zealand natural rainforest environment. They usually attacked at dawn. The aim was to kill all members of the enemy war party, so that no survivors would remain with the risk of “utu” (revenge).