Moko and Culture of the Maori of New Zealand - Research Paper Example

Moko and the Culture of the Maori of New Zealand The moko, also called Ta moko, is a permanent body marking among the people of the Maori of New Zealand. The moko is a form of tattoo, the only distinguishing factor being that the moko forms crevices on the skin. This is because chisels carved out the moko. The face was the major part of the body where this marking appeared. However, individuals got it on other parts of the body such as thighs and neck. The Maori people believe that the moko originated from Ruaumoko, the god of earthquakes and volcanoes. The moko symbolized several things. It created tribal identity for in individual and showed genealogy. Moreover, the art form showed an individual’s rank and status in society, with those having the mark considered to have a higher social status than those that did not. The moko marked the stage an individual was at in their life. It marked the transition of an individual from childhood to adulthood. In addition, some forms of the mark showed when an individual became eligible for marriage. The moko was a sacred abject highly valued by the Maori people. In recent times, the people in the rest of the world take interest in the moko with some opting to get the mark. However, the use of moko by the non-Maori in many ways alter the meaning and true function of the mark. One thing that stands out about the Maori culture from the moko is that status ranked importantly in society. Individuals interacted based on their status. Those who ranked lowly in the community worked hard to acquire some form of status. All through, the moko showed an individual’s status depending on the pattern that came with the mark. Several tattoos were unique to the women that were set aside as a result of their high rank in society. A partial facial moko signified a woman of such high rank in society that never married or got children as finding a mate to match her lineage status became impossible. (Simmons 87) Among men, tattoos on the right side of the face were a symbol of paternal lineage and rank; and showed whether this rank was hereditary or acquired. The left side face had markings showing the lineage and status an individual acquired from their side of the mother. Bravery gave an individual status in society. Warriors that performed exemplary well in war got a moko to show to everyone that met them of their bravery. (Durie 305) Such marks earned them respect and admiration from the society, and in turn added to their social status. The social structure of the Maori gave the first born sons a higher social status than that of lower born sons. These first born sons were the only one eligible to become leaders and chiefs. A special moko symbolized this status. However, lower born sons got a chance to achieve status by showing acts of bravery and kindness. Therefore, many used warfare as a chance to buy social status and get a tattoo showing they had rank. Leaders in Maori culture used Moko to symbolize their status. The type of moko showed the rank of a chief. The tattoo on a high ranking chief in the society was so unique that people who saw it immediately linked the individual with the mark with chiefdom and immediately accorded them the respect that came with that mark. Maori chiefs included their moko marks as signs on legal documents such as letters and title deeds. Any document bearing such a mark gained political recognition as validated by the chief; therefore asserting it eligibility. The Maori culture shows through the moko that it was highly stratified along gender lines. The moko on men and women had significant differences. In addition, the marks on men bore different meanings than those done on women. Many times, the moko on women revolved around their eligibility to marry, whom to marry and what status they had in society. On the other hand, the moko among men predominantly showed rank, superiority and bravery. Only men had mokos symbolizing political leadership such as the marks of chiefs. However, marks on women showed no authority whatsoever. Moko specialists were the only individuals recognized and allowed by the norms of Maori culture to practice this art form. They were predominantly male and only later after colonial influence did women perform this art. Therefore, this asserts that roles and responsibilities among the Maori people had aspects of gender division; with men and women having different duties. Aesthetics were an important element of the Maori culture. The moko predominantly enhanced the beauty of an individual. (Simmons 85) Both men and women got the tattoo in order to attract the opposite sex. The tattooing of the moko, done by highly skilled artists who managed to accomplish the task with a high level of finesse and perfection, looked nothing but beautiful. From the technique of the moko, wood carvings developed. Incision on wood with chisels further showed that the moko was highly aesthetic and hence adopted for other art forms. Among the Maori people, the moko was a form of jewels that complimented their natural beauty. A vital stage in life where individual received the moko was during the transition from childhood to adulthood. It was therefore a technique to make young adults more beautiful and separate them from their child-like looks. This made them recognizable as young people ready for marriage. Many people in the world admire the beauty and artistic maturity of the moko tattoo of the Maori culture. As a result, a number of them get the tattoo on their own bodies despite the fact that they are not of Maori descent. Generally, the admiration and adoption of this art far and wide across the globe ought to serve as flattery for the Maori people. However, individuals of the Maori culture express their disappointment in the use of the moko among other individuals. Many times, they do not hide the fact that they feel insulted. Non-Maori individuals that get these art forms many times distort the meaning of the art. This is because they get it done in a very short period of time, hence the lack of proper planning. The moko among the Maori took a lifetime to acquire. In addition, getting the mark required approval from community leaders so that the recipient of the tattoo proved they deserved it. However, non-Maori getting moko hardly display the accomplishments that the Maori did in order to receive them. The use of the moko among individuals who are not of Maori descent makes the tattoo lose its sacred meaning. The moko are a sacred item. However, non-Maori fail to link any religious meaning to the tattoo seeing them only as art form. This corrupts the original function of the moko. The Maori people see the adoption of the moko among other individuals in the world as a form of identity theft. The tattoos served to show tribal identity and the family lineage of an individual. Therefore, it served as a form of identification factor linking an individual with a tribe, a community, a family, a political class and a social class. Therefore, it seems like stealing an individual’s identity when an outside assumes the identification mark of the Maori people. The moko is an important art form among the Maori people. It serves many roles among them aesthetic and identity functions. The moko shows the lineage, tribal identity, social rank and political position of an individual. The adoption of the moko among outsiders is somewhat an insult as individuals distort the art and fail to recognize the sacred meaning and symbolic meaning associated with this form of art. Therefore, individuals ought to carefully evaluate whether getting a moko is truly necessary. Works Cited Durie, Arohia. Emancipatory Maori Education: Speaking from the Heart. Language, Culture And Curriculum, 11(3) (1998): 297-308. Print. Simmons, D. R. The Art of Moko: In the Blue Privilege: The Last Tattooed Maori Women, Richards Publishing, 85-95 (1980). Print. Read More