The Moko Tattoo

A moko tattoo on a male

            This tattoo communicates different things to every viewer. To those outside the culture of origin (Maori culture of New Zealand), this fashion seems odd. To those within the culture, it symbolizes a rite of passage. These tattoos symbolize the status of the wearer as well as the wearer’s rank in the Maori tribe. The tattoos are called moko.

Moko tattoos are only worn by those of Maori descent. It is considered a grave offense to be displaying a Maori tattoo if one is not of the Maori tribe. These tattoos allow the Maori to be distinct in the crowd of faces. Also, the tattoos are part of tradition. They are given to young men and women when the transition to adulthood is complete. The tattoos are unique to each individual. They tell the ancestry of the wearer through the designs on each side of the face. These tattoos show a person’s identity. If the “key” is known, one could figure out virtually anything from looking at the tattoo. These tattoos differed by gender. Men could get full-face tattoos and occasionally received tattoos elsewhere. Women generally only received tattoos on the lips and chin.

I chose to analyze this kind of tattoo because it shows a splendid view of a different culture and their perception on tattoos. This kind of tattoo is unique to the culture it spawns from. In the Maori culture, these tattoos are a commonplace everyday occurrence. They show the importance of tradition because without them, the Maori culture would be lost. Personally, I would never get a moko. This is because in our culture, this kind of tattoo would seem odd and would be unacceptable by the populace. Also, I wouldn’t get one of these because the tattoos for women are far more unattractive. Being un-Maori, this tattoo is definitely not an option for me to have unless I wanted to make a certain culture very, very angry.