Latest news with #moko
RNZ News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
'Carried on behalf of all of us': Northland iwi Ngātiwai defends the mana of moko
Ngātiwai kaumātua Taipari Munro says moko speaks to the enduring mana of their ancestors, and to the fact that Māori are still here. Photo: Supplied / Pūkahakaha East 5B Trust Northland iwi Ngātiwai is encouraging te iwi Māori to take pride in their identity and wear their moko proudly, following Winston Peters' comments calling Rawiri Waititi's mataora "scribbles". Peters, who is of Ngātiwai descent, made the remark during a Parliamentary debate on the suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs, referring to Waititi as "the one in the cowboy hat" with "scribbles on his face." He was made to apologise by the Speaker of the House. Ngātiwai Kaumātua Taipari Munro said he wanted his people to understand that wearing moko mataora, moko kauae, or even moko rāpa puhoro were decisions made not just for the individual, but on behalf of whānau, hapū, and iwi. "You carry those markings because of you and your people," Munro told RNZ. "I was appalled that he [Peters] should do that. Because those moko marks are carried on behalf of all of us. Even though we mustn't have it on our own faces specifically, it's carried on behalf of all of us. "Winston had no right to say what he said. It was absolutely insulting and below the belt. "And also, you do that to your own people? I thought we'd come out of that quagmire, that we were at a place where we support and advocate for our people and for kaupapa Māori." Munro said the progress Māori had made over decades was being eroded under the current government. "And then you have a Māori stand up in the House and talk like that? No, that was absolutely disgraceful." Munro said moko was a living symbol for iwi, and seeing others wear them was a source of immense pride. "When I see those who carry moko, I know they carry it on behalf of myself, my whānau, my hapū - on behalf of Ngātiwai. "It's been carried for us. And so that's just the immense pride." "Waiho mā tō koutou iwi a Ngātiwai e mokohia kahore anō koutou kia haere mai ki kōnei ki te rapu i ēnei mākā mōu anahe erangi kua haere mai koutou ki te whiwhi i ngā māka o te tā moko hei tohu mō tātou katoa mō Ngātiwai whānui. "Let these sacred markings be received by you on behalf of Ngātiwai, not for yourself alone, but as a living symbol for us all, for the wider Ngātiwai whānui. They speak to our presence, to the enduring mana of our ancestors, and to the fact that we are still here."' Winston Peters speaks in the debate on the Privileges Committee's majority recommendation of parliamentary suspensions for three Te Pāti Māori MPs. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith In an earlier statement to RNZ , NZ First leader Winston Peters said he was proud of his Ngātiwai whakapapa and his Tainui connections. He said he was also proud of his European ancestry and their culture. "And all of my ancestors who have worn traditional tā moko that have been rightly bestowed upon them - and I always have been. That is why I have fought for, and so often succeeded for, justifiable Māori causes, and have done more for Māori than all of those critics all put together." In the statement he did not directly address his use of the word 'scribbles', but instead criticised Te Pāti Māori. "Every Māori who understands tradition, respect, and heritage understands that it is not a right for anyone to decide for themselves one day to have a traditional tā moko tattoo," he said. "We now have a bunch of radical cultural elitists in the Māori Party who are claiming to represent all of Māoridom and think by wearing tā moko they have a monopoly of thought over all of our representation. "Pointing out the shallowness of their thinking is not racist, nor is it a reflection on any Māori in New Zealand - it is in fact the opposite." The front of the hīkoi marching over the Harbour Bridge. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly Munro believed the insult was not just directed at Te Pāti Māori. "When he hurled that insult out, it went to all Māori, as far as I'm concerned," he said. "I don't know who sees those things as just being something individual. I hope that us Māori don't see it like that because those are proud markings that come from our ancestors." Now that Aotearoa has marked Matariki, Munro said it was time for Māori to stand firm in their identity and mana motuhake. "E te iwi Māori, kia manawanui,kia ū ki te mana Māori motuhake, i heke iho mai o tātou mātua tūpuna ki a tātou. "This is a call to all Māori, embrace your identity and take pride in who you are, honour our ancestors." "I'd be telling them, i roto i tō tātou reo, so that they truly understand that this is where this person, this rangatira here, is coming from." "Look forward to the new year, plan well, and bring the dreams and aspirations of our people to the floor." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Why tā moko should never be dismissed as 'scribbles'
Paora Sharples, haka expert and Māori Studies professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland says moko plays a huge part in te ao Māori and represents their history, whakapapa and knowledge. Photo: Supplied / The University of Auckland Tā moko should never be referred to as 'scribbles', a Māori academic says following comments made in Parliament by NZ First leader Winston Peters. Paora Sharples, haka expert and Māori Studies professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland, said moko, and particularly moko kanohi, carries deep cultural and spiritual weight in te ao Māori. "Tā moko plays a huge part within te ao Māori. It represents our history, our whakapapa, our knowledge. It's a key to our very identity and our existence." "When you make decisions around getting a kauae moko, it's not something you do lightly. It often involves years of learning, years of wānanga, and searching for identity to find out who you are." Sharples said the decision to mau moko often involved in-depth discussions with whānau members and practitioners of the art of tāmoko. "Those are kaupapa that could go over years," he said. "Tā moko is a physical representation of who you are, how you see yourself, and the very journey you've undertaken to get to this point." "So when you realise how meaningful it is to people that wear it, and then you have comments like that, oh, it's really disheartening." Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii During the debate on the suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs, the NZ First leader referred to co-leader Rawiri Waititi as "the one in the cowboy hat" with "scribbles on his face ." Peters later withdrew the comment and was made to apologise by the Speaker of the House. Sharples said his initial reaction to the comment was one of disappointment. "My reaction to it was pretty sad…that a leader in Parliament would have derogatory comments like that," he said. "I know in the chambers of Parliament you're there to debate, and often you say things you might regret afterwards, but that was said by him, and once you say it, it's out there." He said referring to Waititi's mataora as "scribbles" revealed more about the minister's disconnection from his own culture than it did about those who wear it. "I think mainly, perhaps, it's not about us really. I think that says more about Winston. It's a reflection of where he is, how distant he is from his own culture and his own people," he said. "He's spent over 50 years in Parliament and he knows that world well. But it's a pity he doesn't know his culture and his people as well as he knows Parliament." In response to Peters comments, te ao Māori took to social media to post proud images of their moko, using phrases like 'my moko is not scribbles.' That message also appeared centre stage at the recent [ Tāmaki Hakangāhau event] in Tāmaki Makaurau. "We had haka about those comments," Sharples said, who is also a senior haka leader with Te Rōpū Manutaki. "Some of the leaders who spoke between items talked about it as well. Kapa haka is a vibrant way we discuss the things that affect us." Sharples said the backlash from te ao Māori was both "swift and powerful." Jeff Ruha, Te Poho o Hinekahukura kaiako delivered a strong message to te ao Māori at the Tāmaki Hakangāhau, calling for Māori to "moko te ao." (Moko the world) Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises Auckland-based rōpū Te Poho o Hinekahukura dedicated an entire item to Peters, with their leader Jeff Ruha delivering a message directly to him: "Kei kōnei ngā te ao moko e ora tonu ana ki runga i a tātou." The world of moko is here, it is still alive upon us. "Winston Peters, the moko runs down my face, into my veins, moumou tō toto Māori." "Ehara tēnei he 'scribbles', e mana kei roto i taku moko." This is not scribbles - there is mana within my moko. "So a challenge to everyone here - moko te ao. Grab your moko, hei hoa matenga mōu." Let your moko be your companion until death. Over the years, colonial influences and misconceptions have clouded the understanding of moko , leading to hesitations among those seeking to reclaim their taonga. Sharples said the resurgence of Māori identity and pride had taken decades of effort. "Since colonisation, we were given a new identity, a different worldview. Especially in the last 50 years, we've been crawling our way back - getting our culture, our language, our arts, our heritage back in whatever way possible." "These moments show how far we've come. But they also show that the fight isn't over." While he acknowledged the comment was made in "the heat of battle," Sharples said leaders must take responsibility for their words. "He's a Māori leader who has a responsibility of speaking on behalf of people," he said. "You have to be careful of what you an example of what can happen. And we've seen the backlash from Māori." Sharples said this could be a turning point in how Aotearoa sees moko and Māori expression more broadly. "At the end of the day, these discussions are who we are. They're our history. And once we've had them, we can move forward." Winston Peters speaks in the debate on the Privileges Committee's majority recommendation of parliamentary suspensions for three Te Pāti Māori MPs. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith In a statement to RNZ, NZ First leader Winston Peters did not directly address his use of the word 'scribbles', but instead criticised Te Pāti Māori. "Every Māori who understands tradition, respect, and heritage understands that it is not a right for anyone to decide for themselves one day to have a traditional tamoko tattoo," he said. "We now have a bunch of radical cultural elitists in the Māori Party who are claiming to represent all of Maoridom and think by wearing tamoko they have a monopoly of thought over all of our representation." "Pointing out the shallowness of their thinking is not racist, nor is it a reflection on any Māori in New Zealand - it is in fact the opposite." Peters said he was proud of his Ngāti Wai heritage and his Tainui connection. "And all of my ancestors who have worn traditional tamoko that have been rightly bestowed upon them - and I always have been. That is why I have fought for, and so often succeeded for, justifiable Māori causes, and have done more for Māori than all of those critics all put together." He said he was also proud of his European ancestry and all of their culture that they had given him.
