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).

(tattooists) were considered ', or inviolable and sacred.

Historical practice (pre-contact)

Tattoo arts are common in the Eastern Polynesian homeland of the Māori people, and the traditional implements and methods employed were similar to those used in other parts of Polynesia. In pre-European Māori culture, many if not most high-ranking persons received . Moko were associated with mana and high social status; however, some very high-status individuals were considered too tapu to acquire moko, and it was also not considered suitable for some tohunga to do so.

Receiving constituted an important milestone between childhood and adulthood, and was accompanied by many rites and rituals. Apart from signalling status and rank, another reason for the practice in traditional times was to make a person more attractive to the opposite sex. Men generally received on their faces ('), buttocks (') and thighs ('). Women usually wore moko on their lips (') and chins ('). Other parts of the body known to have moko include women's foreheads, buttocks, thighs, necks and backs and men's backs, stomachs, and calves.

Historically the skin was carved by ' (chisels), rather than punctured as in common contemporary tattooing; this left the skin with grooves rather than a smooth surface. Later needle tattooing was used, but, in 2007, it was reported that the ' was again being used by some artists.

Originally ( specialists) used a range of ' (chisels) made from albatross bone, which were hafted onto a handle, and struck with a mallet. The pigments were made from the for the body colour, and ' (burnt timbers) for the blacker face colour. The soot from burnt kauri gum was also mixed with fat to make pigment. The pigment was stored in ornate vessels called ', which were often buried when not in use. The ' were handed on to successive generations. A (feeding funnel) is believed to have been used to feed men whose mouths had become swollen from receiving .

The practice of collecting and trading ' (tattooed heads) changed the dynamic of in the early colonial period. King (see below) talks about changes that evolved in the late 19th century when needles came to replace the ' as the main tools. The needle method was quicker and presented fewer health risks, but the texture of the was smooth. on men stopped around the 1860s in line with changing fashion and acceptance by .

Since 1990 there has been a resurgence in the practice of for both men and women, as a sign of cultural identity and a reflection of the general revival of the language and culture. Most applied today is done using a tattoo machine, but there has also been a revival of the use of ' (chisels). Women too have become more involved as practitioners, such as Christine Harvey in Christchurch, Henriata Nicholas in Rotorua and Julie Kipa in Whakatāne. It is not the first time the contact with settlers has interfered with the tools of the trade: the earliest moko were engraved with bone and were replaced by metal supplied by the first visitors.

The most significant change was the adjustment of the themes and conquests the tattoos represented. Tā moko artist Turumakina Duley, in an interview for Artonview magazine, shares his view on the transformation of the practice: "The difference in tā moko today as compared to the nineteenth century is in the change of lifestyle, in the way we live. [...] The tradition of moko was one of initiation, rites of passage – it started around that age – but it also benchmarks achievements in your life and gives you a goal to strive towards and achieve in your life." Duley received moko to celebrate his graduation from a bachelor in Māori studies.

A large proportion of New Zealanders now have tattoos of some sort, and there is "growing acceptance ... as a means of cultural and individual expression."

In 2016 New Zealand politician Nanaia Mahuta received a moko kauae. When she became foreign minister in 2020, a writer said that her facial tattoo was inappropriate for a diplomat. There was much support for Mahuta, who said "there is an emerging awareness about the revitalisation of Māori culture and that facial moko is a positive aspect of that. We need to move away from moko being linked to gangs, because that is not what moko represent at all."

On 25 December 2021, Māori journalist Oriini Kaipara, who has a moko kauae, became the first person with traditional facial markings to host a prime-time news programme on national television in New Zealand.

In 2022, Ariana Tikao published a book called Mokorua: Ngā kōrero mō tōku moko kauae: My story of moko kauae detailing her tā moko journey; her artist was Christine Harvey.

Alien Weaponry bassist TÅ«ranga Edmonds got his moko kanohi at the age of 25.

Use by non-Māori

Europeans were aware of from the time of the first voyage of James Cook. Early Māori visitors to Europe, such as Moehanga in 1805, Hongi Hika in 1820 and Te Pēhi Kupe in 1826, all had full-face , as did several , such as Barnet Burns. However, until relatively recently the art had little global impact.

Wearing of by non-Māori has been called cultural appropriation, and high-profile uses of Māori designs by Robbie Williams, Ben Harper and a 2007 Jean Paul Gaultier fashion show were controversial.

To reconcile the demand for Māori designs in a culturally sensitive way, the group promotes the use of the term ', which has now gained wide acceptance: