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Tā moko is the permanent marking or tattooing as customarily practised by Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. It is one of the five main Polynesian tattoo styles (the other four are Marquesan, Samoan, Tahitian and Hawaiian). [1] Tohunga-tā-moko (tattooists) were considered tapu, or inviolable and sacred. [2]
Moko marked rites of passage for people of chiefly rank, as well as significant events in their lives. Each moko was unique and contained information about the person's rank, tribe, lineage, occupation and exploits. Moko were expensive to obtain and elaborate moko were usually limited to chiefs and high-ranked warriors.
Tā moko is the traditional Māori art of tattooing the skin; a moko is an instance of the art. Prior to colonisation, most high-ranking persons received moko as an important milestone between childhood and adulthood, and those who went without them were perceived to have lower social status.
New Zealand news website Stuff has described her as being at the "forefront" of the revival of tā moko. [8] She has designed and inked traditional tā moko all over New Zealand, and many customers request her work because she is one of few women who practice the art. [3] [6] [9] She uses modern tools as well as traditional uhi (chisels) carved ...
Higgins' Master's thesis at the University of Otago was on the nature of transmission of oral histories, [3] while her 2004 PhD thesis – He tanga ngutu, he Tuhoetanga te Mana Motuhake o te ta moko wahine [needs translation] – was on the identity politics of female chin tattoos.
Te Awekotuku has researched and written extensively on the traditional and contemporary practices of tā moko (tattoo) in New Zealand. Her 2007 (re-published in 2011) book Mau Moko: the world of Maori tattoo, co-authored with Linda Waimarie Nikora, was the product of a five-year long research project conducted by the Māori and Psychology Research Unit at the University of Waikato, funded by a ...
Native Marquesan culture was devastated in the period following the arrival of European explorers. The primary cause of its collapse can be directly linked to the catastrophic effects of alien diseases, especially smallpox, which reduced the population by an estimated 98%.
A Rangatira (chief) or Toa (warrior), while having his Tā moko (facial tattoo) done, is considered Tapu while the tattooist is carving it, and not allowed to feed himself or touch or even look at his own reflection. Manuhiri/manuwhiri guests or visitors at a Marae are considered tapu until food has touched or passed through their mouths. [10]