The Maori are indigenous people that originated in New Zealand. They have a form of body art, known as moko but more commonly referred to as Maori tattooing. The art form was brought to the Maori from Polynesia and is considered highly sacred. Ngapuhi Maori elder Kingi Taurua's traditional
Batok, batek, patik, or batik, among other names, are general terms for indigenous tattoos of the Philippines.
Many Indigenous tribes around the world have distinctive traditional facial tattoos—the Māori have Tā Moko, the Inuit have Kakiniit—but Gwich'in tattoos often appear as three distinctive lines on the chin, as well as lines on the cheeks or corners of the eye.
Tā moko: traditional Māori tattoo.
Tā moko reflects an individual's whakapapa (ancestry) and personal history. In earlier times, it was an important signifier of social rank, knowledge, skill and eligibility to marry. Many of the designs are universal. In particular, the spirals that swirl across the nose, cheek and lower jaw.
A moko can only be done by a Māori for a Māori. No respected Tā Moko artist (called Tohunga Tā Moko) would do one on a non-Māori, since it is strictly reserved for people with Māori whakapapa (genealogy). Māori-style tattoos, on the other hand, are considered a different art form and are referred to as Kirituhi.
In the past, Ta Moko tattoos traditionally represented particular Maori tribes but for those of different heritage/ancestry – this is not the case. However, the tattoo can have a range of other legitimate meanings, such as your family (physical lives), prosperity, travel, strength, your career path etc.
The tiki design is a famous Polynesian tattoo design that comes in the form of human-like faces. They are often received as semi-gods or deified ancestors, such as chiefs or priests. They are symbols of protection, fertility and are guardians over the wearers.
Tā moko is the permanent marking or "tattoo" as traditionally practised by Māori, the first Settlers of New Zealand.
The Tongan name for its tattooing tradition is Tatatau. While designs were certainly influenced by other Pacific cultures, they incorporated their own distinct patterns and meanings over the years in which they flourished.
The 3 lines tattooed on the chin is a common sight in many cultures. In some societies, the lines represent the three stages of a woman's life: maiden, mother, and crone. In others, the lines stand for the three elements of nature: earth, air, and water.
Tattoos in Aboriginal culture are extremely meaningful and can be very powerful. It's one of the oldest art forms in the world, and was first practiced by indigenous people across the globe.
The art of Inuit tattoos is called Tunniit. The process and method are colloquially called Kakiorneq in West Greenland and Kagierneq in East Greenland.
Tribal tattoos have been used by different cultures forhundreds of years as marks that show the affiliation of people within aparticular culture or 'society'. Some people who belonged to a tribe received amark implanted in their skin that showed they belonged to that particular clan.
These special types of tattoos gave the people a way to spiritual disassociate from the harm they often endured as the lowest cast in the caste system. Often times their tattoos consisted of the name “Ram” repeated in Sanskrit on their whole body, including their lips and tongues.
Indigenous peoples of North America have a long history of tattooing. Tattooing was not a simple marking on the skin: it was a process that highlighted cultural connections to Indigenous ways of knowing and viewing the world, as well as connections to family, society, and place.
For New Zealand Māori women, the moko kauae, or traditional female chin tattoo, is considered a physical manifestation of their true identity. It is believed every Māori woman wears a moko on the inside, close to their heart; when they are ready, the tattoo artist simply brings it out to the surface.
Maori also tattooed various parts of the body, especially the buttocks and thighs. The buttocks were tattooed in a design pattern called rape, which consisted of two sets of concentric spirals that come together in the centre. A further pattern is applied to the thighs known as puhoro.
Tā moko reflects an individual's whakapapa (ancestry) and personal history. In earlier times, it was an important signifier of social rank, knowledge, skill and eligibility to marry. Many of the designs are universal.
The Samoan word for tattoo came from the Polynesian language. The word tatau originates from the tapping sounds of the tool made during tattooing. This primitive tattoo tool was made of bone or boar husk sharpen into a comb style shape with serrated teeth like needles.
While there are much more similarities than differences between Maori and Samoan tattooing – together they form the two main forms of Polynesian tattooing as a whole – in simplest terms, Maori tattooing can be distinguished by its swirling, coiling patterns, while Samoan tattooing leans more towards clear lines and ...
Like other Polynesians, the Hawaiian people imported their traditional tattoo art, known as kakau, to the islands. It served them not only for ornamentation and distinction, but to guard their health and spiritual well-being.
The term moko traditionally applied to male facial tattooing, while kauae referred to moko on the chins of women. There were other specific terms for tattooing on other parts of the body. Eventually 'moko' came to be used for Māori tattooing in general.
If you consider it to be a „Māori styled tribal tattoo“, then yes. If you know the cultural significance and history behind a Moko and have permission by a Whanau for example it might look different. If you're not of Māori descent it will be generally frowned upon though.
Mataora & Kauae are reservedly for those of Maori descent only. To wear the markings of your ancestors proudly, it is necessary to also understand the history of these markings.