When school principal Hira Hona decided to get a traditional tattoo on half of his face, he didn’t even consider asking his employer for permission. For the 35-year-old head of an immersion Maori primary school in Tauranga, on New Zealand’s North Island’s east coast, it was simply an integral part of his identity. The practice, hundreds of years old, is not only accepted today but is “proof that we are still here,” says Hona. His *matauora* (male facial tattoo) is not just a sacred ritual but also a very clear political statement in an era when Maori culture is once again facing attempts at suppression.
The Face as a Manifesto: Sacred Tradition and Political Resistance
Hira Hona’s experience is drastically different from what his parents and grandparents went through, growing up in a time when Maori culture was systematically suppressed in schools and society. According to Hona, “we live in a new world” today, and questioning his tattoo would contradict all the principles and values of his *kura* (school).
Traditional Maori tattoos, known as *ta moko*, are not just decoration. They are a deeply personal, sacred process where the artist, in consultation with the recipient, creates a pattern that reflects their *whakapapa* (genealogy), history, and achievements. Before European settlement, tattoos were applied using *uhi* chisels and natural inks, marking important life milestones. Maori art historian and University of Auckland professor Ngāriino Ellis notes that ta moko “was considered normal, just part of who you are.”.
Matauora and Moko Kauae: Reviving Personal History
Facial tattoos hold special significance:
- Matauora: A male facial tattoo that can cover half or the entire face.
- Moko Kauae: A distinctive mark for women, applied to the chin and sometimes extending to the lips.
Hira Hona shared that he and his wife Kiri spent three years in “heavy conversations” to determine if they were ready for such a sacred act. When the tattoos were finally applied in an intimate ceremony, it was “almost like another marriage.” Hona describes it as a rebirth: “When you rise in your *matauora*, you are born anew.” He received his *matauora* at age 29, and his wife her *moko kauae*. They were inspired to accelerate this path by the late Maori King Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII.
A History of Suppression and Cultural Renaissance
With the arrival of European settlers in the early 19th century, Maori culture was forced to adapt, attempting to “soften the growing encroachment on our sovereignty,” as Ngāriino Ellis explains. The culmination of suppression was the Tohunga Suppression Act of 1907, which persecuted Maori spiritual and cultural leaders, marginalizing traditional knowledge and practices, including ta moko.
The consequences of assimilation policies were catastrophic for the *Te Reo Maori* language: while over 90% of Maori schoolchildren spoke their native language in 1913, by 1975, this figure had dropped to less than 5%. However, starting in the late 1980s, along with the revival of the language and other cultural forms, *ta moko* began to return.
Today, Ellis estimates that *ta moko* is more popular than it has been in the last 200 years. According to 2018 government data, about 18% of the Maori population wear *ta moko*, a notable increase from 15% in 2013. The tattoos are most common among the 24-44 age group.
Tattoos as a Political Shield
In the current context of New Zealand, where a conservative coalition government led by Christopher Luxon came to power in 2023, *ta moko* has become a symbol of explicit resistance. Luxon’s government has taken several steps aimed at curtailing the use of Maori words in public service, abolishing the Maori Health Authority, and attempting to revise the country’s key founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi 1840.
Against this backdrop, *ta moko* serves as a powerful reminder of the people’s resilience. Hira Hona states directly: “It’s a reminder to the government that we are still here. You can throw stones at us. You can throw whatever you want, but in the end, you can’t get rid of us.”.
The visibility of *ta moko* has reached unprecedented levels: they are seen in the New Zealand Parliament (e.g., by Maori Party MP Orini Kaipara, who became the first news anchor with *moko kauae* in prime time), on sports fields, and in courts. Acceptance is also growing in Australia: last month, Victoria Police updated its policy, allowing a Maori constable to wear *moko kauae*.
Nevertheless, prejudice persists. In June, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters, himself of Maori descent, was criticized for calling a fellow MP’s *matauora* “doodles on the face.”.
Expert View: “A Lot of Pain” and the Right to Wear
Artist Julie Paama-Pengelly, who has been practicing *ta moko* for about 35 years, has witnessed the art’s revival from its very beginning. She recalls that at first, “there was a lot of *mamae*, a lot of pain,” and many elders disapproved of the practice, fearing another wave of oppression they had experienced in the past.
Paama-Pengelly notes that today there is a “huge movement” among young people under 30, although the older generation remains more cautious. At the same time, most of her clients are between 40 and 80 years old. Many of them only decide to get *moko* after coming to terms with long-held beliefs that one must “earn” the right to wear this mark.
Hira Hona, who received his *matauora* at 29, also grew up with the idea that a facial tattoo had to be “earned” through special achievements. However, his grandmother, who got her *moko kauae* later in life, challenged this belief:
“We are Maori. It is our right. And in order to revive this, we must start wearing [татуировки].”
This reflects a fundamental shift: from requiring tattoos to be earned through deeds to recognizing it as an inherent right and a tool for cultural restoration. While Paama-Pengelly does not perform facial *moko* on non-Maori unless they share ancestry, for Maori, it has become an affirmation of identity.
The Context of Tattoo Culture: A Message to the World
For the global tattoo industry, the phenomenon of *ta moko* is of great significance, extending beyond New Zealand. It is a prime example of how traditional ethnic art becomes a powerful driver of cultural sovereignty in the 21st century. While in the West, tattooing is often associated with fashion, aesthetics, or personal self-expression, *ta moko* demonstrates its original, almost lost function – to be a living document, etched on the flesh, connecting a person to their ancestors (*whakapapa*) and the land.
The revival of *ta moko* reinforces a global trend towards culturally specific tattoos (e.g., Filipino *batok*, Polynesian patterns), emphasizing the importance of authenticity and ownership of cultural heritage. It also serves as a lesson for artists worldwide on the need for respectful engagement with the origins of symbols and the unacceptability of cultural appropriation.
As Ngāriino Ellis states, “there is nothing that says ‘I am me, and I am not ashamed of it’ more clearly than a facial *moko*.” It’s not just ink; it’s “a very clear statement: I am unapologetically Maori, so deal with it.”.