International superstars Robbie Williams, Ben Harper, Kehlani, Jason Derulo and Rhianna have Māori and Pasifika-inspired tattoos
Māori and Pasifika tattoos are visual statements of who we are, and where we come from.
In Samoan culture, those who start off the tatau process and do not finish are labelled cowards
Dr Phillip Borell (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is a senior lecturer (above the bar) in Māori and Indigenous Studies, and Sport, at the University of Canterbury, a community advocate, and chairman of Canterbury Rugby League.
Dr Dion Enari is a senior lecturer in sport leadershipand management at Auckland University of Technology. He has a PhD in Fa’asamoa and holds the ali’i tulafale title Lefaoali’i from Lepa, Samoa.
While haka is our main export to the world, our adornments on our skin are fast becoming more recognisable internationally. As team New Zealand prepares to represent us at the Olympics, so too do their tattoos.
Our Māori and Pasifika tattoos are visual statements of who we are, and where we come from. As Māori and Pasifika sport academics, who also wear our cultural ink, we support this movement.
When Dion was preparing to get his tatau (traditional Samoan male tattoo), it was the hardest decision of his life.
In the Samoan culture, this tattoo is hand tapped using traditional tools and covers one third of the body. Those who are able to withstand the pain and blood shed by completing the process, are respected warriors.
Phil Borrell has his peha/pūhoro - traditional Māori moko over the legs, buttocks and back. Picture / Supplied
To the contrary, those who start the process and do not finish, are labelled cowards who have disgraced themselves and brought shame upon their families. Knowing this, Dion prayed to God to give him the strength to finish the journey. Luckily, he finished, better yet, more connected to his ancestors, villages and culture than ever before.
For Phil, his peha/pūhoro (traditional Māori moko over the legs, buttocks and back) was something he had wanted for some time, but had questioned his own worthiness.
Following the passing of his mother in 2019, he knew it was time, he wanted to do it. Over 70 hours under the needle (not hand-tapped like our Samoan cousins) under the masterful eye of kaitā (artist), and now friend, Pirika Hoani had him questioning his worthiness several times over again, but the whakapapa that adorns his skin is a daily reminder of the journey and his identity.
Oriini Kaipara has often appeared on the stage of Te Matatini, the “Olympics” of kapa haka, giving her a valuable insight into the commitment and sacrifice of elite athletes. Photo / Erica Sinclair
Looking back to the world of haka, Oriini Kaipara, an eight-time Te Matatini (known as the Māori Olympics) performer, is in charge of weaving our indigenous culture through team New Zealand. And, she wears a moko kauae (female moko on the chin). Her role in the NZOC demonstrates a sense of mana in our moko for our modern DNA as Aotearoa New Zealand.
In a fast-changing globalised world, our Māori and Pasifika tattoos are more important than ever before. Although some countries associate tattoos with low socioeconomic status and poor education, for us this is not the case. As Māori and Pasifika peoples, we treasure this art as a form of dignity, honour and respect.
More importantly, they are taonga/measina (gifts) from our ancestors.
For Maori, tā moko was brought to the human realm on the face of Mataora who had followed his wife Niwareka to the home of her father, after an incident that saw her leave him. His receiving of a facial tattoo, now known as mataora, was a form of forgiveness.
His temporary pain became symbolic of our modern rite of passage. For Samoans, the art of tattooing was brought to the islands by Tilafaiga and Taema, siamese twins.
In Samoan culture, one is only considered appropriately clothed and ready to sit in the high chief’s house when they have received their tatau (for men) or malu (for women).
Today, from armbands, to full sleeves, chest plates, through to pūhoro or peha (body suits), Māori and Pasifika tattoos have become a synonymous symbol of identity and athleticism.
Notable athletes who have shared their stories of having these markings include rugby players Zyon Maiu’u and Hilda Mariu. This Olympics, team New Zealand will not only see athletes wearing the black jersey, but also the permanent ink of their families and tribes. Such Olympians include Manaia Nuku, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Regan Ware to name a few. It is our belief that these tattoos will act as both protection for our athletes, and a bridge for the world to better understand Māori and Pasifika people.
As the popularity of our motifs increase, so too does the number of non-Māori and Pasifika wearing them. As the old saying goes, imitation is the greatest form of flattery.
Phil Borrell.
We acknowledge international superstars such as Robbie Williams, Ben Harper, Kehlani, Jason Derulo and Rhianna who have received Māori and Pasifika-inspired tattoos. Tā moko, tatau, and kirituhi (moko for non-Māori recipients) are now iconic worldwide, and revered as some of the most intricate and beautiful symbols of identity.
As authors who bear these Māori and Pasifika markings, we don’t tell anyone who we are, our tattoos tell the world where we come from. We imagine that our athletes are proudly sharing their identities in the Olympics too.
Dr Dion Enari.
To those in team New Zealand with our markings, remember you don’t just have the support of our country, more importantly, you have the blessings of your ancestors, etched into your skin.
