He tanga ngutu, he Tuhoetanga te Mana Motuhake o te ta moko wahine: The identity politics of moko kauae

Abstract

Ta moko (Māori tattooing), especially facial moko (tattoo), has become a popular mechanism for the expression of self determination. Many Māori people are adopting this art form as part of a renaissance of Māori culture in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This declaration of Māori self-determination is also an assertion of the pride felt by the tangata whenua (people of the land) for their culture, their language and more, importantly, their identity. This thesis will illustrate how moko kauae (female chin tattooing) is a means of expressing Māori identity with specific reference to Tuhoe identity. Using an Indigenous theoretical framework this Māori Studies thesis examines the historical and contemporary political dimensions of moko kauae, the interface with the Māori worldview (inclusive of its cultural concepts), and its relationship to identity politics. This will be complimented by the personal stories of Tuhoe women who have undertaken moko kauae as well as commentaries from other Tuhoe people who express what their Tuhoetanga means to them and their lives.