It's always a tough one, after my mum died (mum was maori) my siblings and I all got tattoos to honour her and our culture. Only my sister and I have maori blood (italian father), my 3 older half brothers don't (ethnically they pretty much pure blood italian), but they had a really strong connection and love for our mum. so much so that when we went to the tohunga ta moko the guy and his wife broke into tears and embraced us when we spoke about it (this only few days after we laid mum to rest, things were still very raw). My brothers didnt get moko though, they got kirituhi. Though my older brother Jim said he once had some young sjw say to him once that it was cultural appropriation, fortunately he has no issues with telling morons to take a hike. My sister got her moko a few months after mum died, she's been active in the maori community where she lives for decades (my sister moved to NZ in 1993, from Aust originally) and works a lot with kids (shes a social worker). The way my brother in law (who is 100% maori) explained it to me was that in our family after mum died my sister is essentially became the matriarch (he used a maori word but I don't remember what it was), the moko represents her role as a leader. I can understand why a non maori shouldn't have them, theyre not there for giggles or vanity, they're a mark of honour and gift passed down from our ancestors.

I agree ta moko is for Māori alone. Consider this though - I am pakeha and can trace my ancestry in New Zealand back to the mid 1800s. My adoptive son is Māori (Ngāti Porou) and Tongan. How do I as a pakeha with a very average knowledge of Te ao Māori bring him up with the knowledge and appreciation of his Māori heritage?

I can’t tell anyone else what to do but I am not Māori and I wouldn’t think of it. The Māori traditions and culture are so beautiful but They are not my to take part it. I can appreciate their beauty and rich traditions while still being respectful.

I'm white af but my mums side of the family is Ngai Tuhoe. My Poppa blessed my greenstone for me and I cherish it and the maori history of the family he taught us and passed down. Little nevous to get a ta moko on my arm because I'm white and don't look maori when I kinda am. It's something I really want since my poppa died of cancer to carry on his part of the family and something I'm proud of. Just worried I'll get hassled or looked at weird for not looking Maori.

As someone born seeing I can tell you that I have seen Moko Kowai on wahine who have no tattoos on their face. I wish I could describe it because the ink tattoo does not do justice to the colors and patterns I have seen only to realise it is made manifest only by wairua. I have only ever once told the person what I saw and she smiled and cried and told me she had been thinking about if she needed to get one. After our Korero I explained if she wanted one or not didn't matter because it was already there and so it exists. What I can say is that many people carry moko that cannot be seen by the physical eyes. I cannot say if this is why my ancestors began to mark faces but it might explain why they may have decided to do it. I wonder if it is something that one brings with them from the spirit world to this.

Kia Ora! Quick question Although there seemed to be both sides on weather non Māori should get moko, am I correct to understand that kirituhi is a separate thing and generally speaking that would be acceptable? Just a genuine question from a non Māori who loves and would like to learn more about Māori culture! Cheers!

No Tuhoe ahau, no te wharuarua O Ruatoki. Some of my tipuna had their moko done, I wear mine on my heart and speak it through my reo that's been passed down .

This is extremely simplified. Imagine you get tattoos of a regiment or a military unit that you’re not affiliated with! This is almost the same but much deeper.

if anyone can answer this i would really like amazingly appreciate this. I’m NZ European but my great great grandmother was full māori, I was thinking about getting ta moko somewhere for that sake of māori in my blood but im so terrified of getting hate for being mostly pākeha with moko (i have blue eyes and brown hair with white skin) but my main question is am i allowed or able to get ta moko even if im not full māori?

Pākehā with no ink here, so take my opinion as you like lol. As I understand it, the moko is meant to tell your story all the way back to your ancestors and it is chosen and designed for you by others. As long as you honour and respect that tradition then fair enough, though it’s a bit easier if you have at least a little Māori in you. I like what the guy said about leaving it off your face if you’re just going for aesthetics, that seems the fairest way to go

Quick question. My mother is Māori, her entire family have originated from New Zealand and she grew up there. When she was in her 20s she traveled to Scotland and met my dad. They have lived here for many years now and I was born here. Am I Māori or did I have to be born in New Zealand like her?

I’ll be honest I am a samoan and I want to say that I think it’s DISRESPECTFUL to our Māori family to get that if you are not of Māori decent, that goes for whatever reason. Just like if a Asian wants to get a pe’a, just because you think it’s cool is not good enough, this is all about respecting your ancestors and what they have been able to gift to their rightful people ❤️❤️

I respect EVERY culture and I'm very much in favour of keeping traditions alive. I'm German but I have a half sleeve on my right forearm in the style of Maori tattoos but incorporating symbols from cultures all over the world. I love the art (to me Polinesian styles are the most beautiful in the tattoo world), but I want to express my desire to be multi-culti, respecting ALL cultures and traditions. 🙏🏼😎

Sou brasileiro e indígena, e assim como os maori também temos nossas tattoos com significado e história.e eu entendo vcs eu não tenho a minha tattoo , mas eu vou fazer logo logo

So quick question, is that ok for a non Māori to get a Maori style kirituhi??

Kia Ora Koutou 👋 I'm French and I've lived in NZ for almost 18 years now. I've got multiple Tā Moko on my body (chest, back, sleeve). I LOVE the Maori culture, and I'm proud to "represent" it by wearing it on my skin. I'm currently in the process of learning Te Reo Maori, via Te Wananga o Aotearoa. I love the old ways of the Maori culture and what they stood for (respect your elders, respect wahine and Tamariki). Unfortunately, I feel that these values have been lost overtime. I understand people who believe that Tā moko should be reserved to Maori only, but I also think that it is a shame, because this way of thinking, in my opinion, prevents the culture from thriving and becoming mainstream and accepted the way it should be ❤️ Just my 2 cents Ngā mihi nui

My friend who is pakeha has a full face moko. The Maori elders approached him and asked if he would accept a moko for all the work he does in the community. It took a few months of meetings with the elders and the tattoo guy. He had to tell them his history so they can design his story into a moko. Strange thing is alot of Maori hate on him because they have not been blessed by the elders for their Mokos

i absolutely love culture tattoos and have Polynesian tribal on my arms and legs but these are thing the artist put together that didnt mean anything to me only looks cool. So i decided i needed one that was actually meaningful to me so i went to Hawaii and had an interview with Keone Nunes ( traditional hawaiian tap tattoo artist) and he blessed me with agreeing and tattooing me with a one of a kind personal tattoo that actually has meaning..greatest experience i have ever had

Trevor Bentleys book Pakeha Taa Moko is a good read…

I always thought moko was about whakapapa so with that said...No

Yes our markings should be respected spiritually and physically no matter the blood. But alot of people from different areas would disagree as different tribes have different rules

To anyone it may concern, I am a White New Zealander and not a Pakeha. Thank You in advance.

Non Maori born NZ now living in Aus,I’m thinking of getting a sleeve represent my hometown Otara Akl NZ and all my Maori mates I grew up with.

What if a kanaka maoli to wear a moko ? We are cousins rite ?

If your Maori an you don't speak the reo it will give you more joy to learn I fear if you do

Interesting to see Maori defend both sides i was sure they would have all said a hard no

Honsetly I fell like its an amazing way to spread our culture.In my opinion Culture should be spread throughtout the world for everyone to embrace and to have people throughout the world identify with our culture and spread its values would be amazing. Our culture has been supressed for too long and for it to get global recongnition through our mokos would be amazing. No one man or woman has the right to gatekeep our culture and any culture for that fact. If you can identify with the values and belifes of our culture then I hope you can wear it with pride and that it may bring mana to your life. We should show love to those people that embrace our culutre and if you think that others carrying our mokos diminishes your own then maybe your not weraing it for the right reasons. As a people we should all feel welcome to all the culutres of the world if we can identify with their values. As maori we should embrace those who wish to embrace our culture otherwise we risk to be forever gatekeepers to the cultulre we love.

love u sis

This is what kirituhi is for.

my great grand mother fom my fathers side was maori.. the rest is straight british... i grew up in Outautahi... did kapa haka in primary school.. and just resonate more with maori culture.. im heavily tattooed and would love some maori moko... like im a kiwi through and through.. but im also white as fuck.. i resonate with the land, like its my home

Kirituhi is for non-maori and is a beautiful way of sharing part of our culture with others.

Barcode for WINZ

The difference between Tamoko and Kirituhi are what sets it apart from a traditional and non-traditional.

The most powerful tool that connects us to our maori roots is tikanga, manaakitanga to guide us. He Mataora puhoro and such i understand is a no no for non-maori, but moko is ka pai as long as they know who its for, what it means, where they got it, and why they wear it, into it let them represent.

I love the art but as a white American . I feel like I could respect the culture in other ways. But I will admit. If I had the opportunity to get just a small one on my arm somewhere I probably would mostly out of reverence. That being said I started studying the culture for a while now and I really appreciate and what the marks mean .

Im not Maori Im from the Caribbean but i just got a whole sleeve of Maori and i want to do a whole full body suit of Maori. I very much respect the culture and the art that is why i like the tattoo.

I'll get all of you

Yaaawn.

It’s ours!🙌🏽

Do you need to be Austrian to play Mozart then?

que se lo haga quien quiera

It'd my new language, I'll say whatever I have to.

I'm a kinda dark olive skin but look more like my indian side the my Maori but I want to get one one day

I got too much facial hair for moko. It have to shave twice a day

We never do it

I'd say...why? Why would you want to wear precious taonga from another culture to tell your story about you? .. Even if you are whangai your blood is your blood...Maori or not...could you hold your head proud and talk about u and your ancestors while wearing this..which is the point I say...each to their own at the end of the day..Your journey is yours to carry....if u do...all the best 😊

All of it is Beautiful! The Men look so Handsome and strong!

Good 1 Gabriel GOOD 1

Well at the end of the day a person's body is really theirs, if they want to wear tattoos it's essentially their choice to do so or not too, there's no Laws in NZ against people having tattoos or body piercings, it's not a criminal activity or crime or breaking any Laws. And yes I do get/understand the cultural thing too, but in a way it's really quite sad too that many Maori are quite anti and object to non Maori wanting to wear Maori styled tattoos (even say on their arms), well the only people they're really alienating against is the very tiny minority of Pakehas (Europeans) whom love Maori culture and values, it alienates their Pakeha allies, it really doesn't effect anyone else, you'll never ever see Pakehas like Don Brash wanting to wear a Moko or a Tiki, or any Asians, Indians, or a majority of Europeans for that matter, this will probably soon start to extend to the objecting of non Maori wearing Tikis or Greenstone ornaments too, and thank goodness this doesn't go the other way round with Europeans like Don Brash accusing Maori of cultural appropriation and objecting to their using such things as electricity and automobiles, but you never know.

Indigenous People from southern China and Taiwan also have similar cravings. Could it be NZ Maoris are originally from there?

Me personally I am pākehā however in my whakapapa I have Māori - does that mean I am Māori?

People can do whatever the hell they want with their face and their skin.

What if a pakeha baby is whanau does that make them Maori? Or nah?

There are a lot of misinformed comments here.Many people today wearing Moko have not followed tradition and would not be allowed them.There were also Pakeha that were given the honor of wearing them as they became part of tribes.Barnet Burns is one of the most famous.

The only real moko in the world....STR8 THE FUCK ON.

As a Pakeha it isn’t against the law but I don’t think many of us would think it was appropriate. Seems to be the consensus among everyone.

If i got a moko as a white American i would put my own spin on it by having the pattern be car themed

People forget we are stuck on one planet shame on gate keeping I agree it’s there culture not saving to get ur face tatted but seems crazy to be in the position where art belongs to only ur small island how we still haven’t figured out the fact we are all human an we share ancestors regardless of the last 1000+ years

That's a beautiful and precious art! Religions or traditions shouldn't be oppressed. Brings me joy to see this.

Getting ta moko is Māori. It’s their cultural identity. Same way the Samoan pe’a is for Samoan. Each design has been created for set holder to connect to their heritage and cultural identity It can be said getting these tattoos if you are not of the culture can be taboo and bring bad misfortune to your life. Although each to their own people can do as they please.

I support the tattoo artist and one of the ladies. I don't usually have an opinion on much, on this fuck yes I do. I do not believe pakeha or any tauiwi should be given a moko kauae or ta moko. Unless they really took the time to learn our tikanga or became part of our community in some way. If they became respected enough. Then maybe. But to give it to any pakeha, NO. Absolutely NOT. That is a taonga to our people. In the old days it was ONLY worn by royalty. Kiri tuhi on the other hand, that has been made available for any tauiwi who have admiration for our culture, to have their story tattooed onto their bodies. Anywhere excluding the face.

I’d have to be invited by a Kuia and must be done the traditional way. As John Rutherford did in 1826.

This is me if people should dance hula

i look at it like this their are no full blooded Maori anymore, I wouldn't be surprised if there were no half blooded Maoris either. Im from a maori (dads side) and english (*mums side)Families and id say that aslong as you understand the meaning and respect it (obviously cause its on your skin) then sweet as and mokos these days arent just about iwi anymore ive gotten a moko to represent my english side. You can use moko to express almost anything so id say yes you can have one especially if it represents something meaningful to you. another example is writing a quote on yourself, why not get that quote in maori design.

There's old paintings of pakeha colonists who chose to live amongst maori

I've heard stories of early European settlers leaving white society to live with the maori and being given ta moko by the maori, if the ancestors saw no problem with it why would we?

I don't understand why anyone would want a tribal or cultural tattoo if they're not of that culture. Yeah sure, someone can admire and embrace it, but at the end of the day, they're not of that culture. There are certain lines you don't cross, otherwise it's vulgar appropriation. Not genuine. I can understand why some would find it offensive.

Here's my opinion. If you can turn yourself from a man to a woman these days, or visa versa. You can do whatever you want to your own body.

I will respect the people whose opinion is that maori can't wear it as long as they apply it to maori people getting non maori tattoo. My sister has moko and also has a Norse tattoo yet she'll claim it's different because Norse tattoo is not as sacred as tamoko, which I believe she knows is rubbish excuse and also, who the hell are maori to claim what other cultures tattoos mean to them.

For me personally why NOT they are embracing culture why not

I would never want one, it's just not for me and I do think it's a strictly Maori thing. I also think in today's society it's strived for to see everybody as one and not as "us" and "them" so I am not sure if I should feel that way.

Lol that lady with the hat is not Māori… I’m not either… lol she met a Māori once and her brother was friends with one so now she thinks she’s one😂😂

ancient angles and brits even celts were heavily tattooed people even on their faces moko as you say is a global thing its not soley one peoples culture

if you really want one, go for it even if your only reason is that you find it beautiful, saying you cant coz "you aint from the right blood" is a non argument!

I am not indiginous,but a strong ally,i would say. My opinion on this is,if you love the people and respect them,you would accept that some parts of their culture,just are'nt for you. You would love it for them,but accept that,with a few things you can just watch and appreciate and not have for your own. A lot of the times,in my view at least,people are Apropriating and not apreciating...🤷🏻‍♀️ 🍀👋

They all look a bit samey to me. The tattoos too. 😂

Cuz we live on a spinning rock soo anyone can get one

no one "owns" anything but out of respect no one should encroach on your culture

are u significant?

I question why some Māori wear it. If we're smoking, drinking, cutting our hair or anything else "plastic" don't even start thinking about it. Moko is not decorative. They're not "tough badges" either. Ta moko comes with heavy spiritual & knowledge implications. It's not an outward display, it's a deeper inner understanding. Each to their own, but not for me. You have to be worthy of wearing it.

No

tikanga says no

Of course they can... Just be called a tattoo and not a moko

Yes. We can, and you can't stop people.

Swerve to get it

Drawing on others faces uninvited

They all have to go.

Well go tell Mike Tyson then 😂

I'm an old, ink free, white guy. Only a Māori should wear any Moko tattoo. There are other tattoo's for a non Māori to have, but I don't mean other indigenous peoples tattoo's. The problem is non indigenous tattoo's have no real meaning and are by comparison pretty poor in my opinion. What sort of tattoo could I, as an Englishman get, that represents England? Fish and chips, or a fat person eating a pie? Everyone nation within the United Kingdom can have celtic designs, symbols, or mythical beasts, whereas England appears to be devoid of this type of history.

Looking at humans through the lens of race and culture is divisive . We are all children of God , end of .

It's my land, ill drown it if I want.

Yes pakeha can. But they will look out of place with a moko. 😆

My ancestors were Celts and Anglo-Saxons so any tattoos i get will be symbols and knot work patterns from those cultures.

Whanau getting too precious. Complain that pakeha don’t accept our culture but when they do and want to wear our moko it’s not good enough. I agree anyone can get Ta Moko aslong as they wear it with pride and don’t get it just to show off like a lot of the whanau over in Aussie

Maori people look like malayan people, but their bones look more big

There were pākehā that were granted moko in the 1800s. Look up pākehā māori. There are a number of books out there on that subject. It's considered appropriation these days, probably rightly so as māori culture has become the minority and not the norm.

100% non-maori can get Moko. Many Pakeha Kiwi are proud of their NZ heritage for which the ao Maori some are most proud of. If they wear it with honour It is no business of others.

It's their face, not yours. Who is anyone to say what someone else is allowed to do with their own body or appearance.

Maori used to be a 'No But' falla when I was born. Now he can be a girl.

Maori culture is only 700 years old. Surely most people across the earth share the same genes. Where does the line go?