Kiri Allan reveals new pūhoro ta moko on Instagram

Kiri Allan has been completing her new pūhoro tattoo. Photo / @kiri_allan_mp / @anikaaro / Instagram

Former Labour MP Kiri Allan has revealed her new pūhoro ta moko (thigh tattoo).

Taking to her Instagram Story on Tuesday, Allan shared a black-and-white photo of the work - a tā moko design inked on the lower half of her body.

The tattoo is being performed by Northland tā moko artist Anikaaro Harawira, and appears to still be in progress after several months of work.

“Another session with the cuz,” Allan captioned the photo.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anikaaro Harawira (@anikaaro)

Pūhoro is a traditional tā moko design on the thighs and buttocks.

Tā moko is a centuries-old tradition used to tell the wearer’s story through visual symbols and holds deep cultural significance.

Tā moko is worn on the face and body, but facial tattoos differ between men and women: men receive moko kanohi either on the entire face or the lower half, while women wear moko kauae on the chin, or sometimes the chin and lips.

Kiri Allan showed off the art on Instagram on Tuesday. Photo / @kiri_allan_mp / @anikaaro / Instagram

Other famous Kiwis with forms of tā moko include Breakfast host Jenny-May Clarkson and Te Pāti Māori MPs Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer; Oriini Kaipara made headlines in 2019 when she became the first journalist with a moko kauae to present a mainstream news bulletin in New Zealand.

Clarkson debuted her moko kauae in April, telling 1News she was on a journey to reclaim her Māori heritage. The former netball player has become the first member of her family to wear moko kauae since her great-grandmother, she said at the time.

“I’d love to tell that confused little kid and her older teenage self: one day you will love yourself. That feeling you get when you stand on stage proudly wearing your kapa haka kākahu, belting out waiata, that feeling of pride and belonging, that will remain with you.”

Former Minister of Justice Kiri Allan, pictured near her family home in the Western Bay of Plenty. Photo / Alan Gibson

Allan served as an MP for the Labour Party between 2017 and 2023.

In July 2023 Allan crashed her car while over the drink-driving limit in Wellington, leading to charges of careless driving and refusing to accompany police. She resigned from Parliament the following day.

The former Justice Minister was convicted of refusing to accompany police in May and fined $300 for careless driving. She was also ordered to pay reparations of $5296.

The month prior to the crash, Allan revealed she had been on mental health leave, citing personal circumstances and her workload.

In April 2021, Allan revealed she had been diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer. In December that year, she confirmed her latest scan showed “no sign” of the disease.