August 15, 2010
Why Maoris Might Not Like Your New Maori Tattoo Design
Fake Maori Tattoo Designs Do You Have One
Once upon a time in history when it came to getting a tattoo the maori used the bones of albatrosses to do their inking or they used brutal chiseling tools that would make any modern man cry by cutting deeply into the flesh then painting or coloring which was used to distringuish the family history and the final part was the actual pattern which would then tell you the story of this maori tribe What this would essentially do for some one is that they would if they were an elder be able to tell the history by looking at the design the moko and of course the patterning of the skin I’m sure you have been told that traditional maori tattoo designs are only supposed to be done on the face, however this is not true as they were also done on peoples bodies back in the day, what you will find looking back in history is that these people who had these designs done on their faces were important figures among the tribe and this is how they were distinguished from the other people within the tribe
More info on Maori Tribal Tattoos here
There are so many people copying maori tattoo designs these days, many people think there is no harm in doing this, at first sight but is it really ok to steal other cultures identities? At first it might not seem apparent when taking symbols and images from the maori culture without having an idea of what they mean, but you should never do this as they might belong to a family who have had this maor tattoo designs in their family tree for years The only way you might find yourself in such a situation is if you go out into the world and start copying any and every maori tattoo design that you come across
Would you like to know what maori`s think of white people and other cultures that steel their maori tattoo designs?
If you were ever to hear the word “pakeha” said to you while in new zealand i am sure that the tone that you would hear it in would indicate to you that this is not how maoris greet in their own language! No this word is associated with westerners in particular that have stolen maori culture and now more than ever are taking some original tattoo designs that have been in their families for over a thousand years and all without asking, this is what the word “pakeha” means those that take without asking!
From the maoris point of view taking from their culture without asking them or having a design on you that is a replica is a weakening of their identity in terms of their culture, westernising them further through the stealing of their heritage and also they feel that they will eventually have nothing left that is sacred and original for them to hold onto in the future.
So how will this effect your decision when getting a maori tattoo?
The safest thing for anyone like you to do is to perhaps look at a few designs for inspiration but try never ever to copy the design like it is on maoris in newZealand.
Rather approach a tribe if you can and ask them if you may use their design or if this is not an option when choosing a Maori tattoo design, then try design your own design, it may look like a Maori tattoo but in reality it will not offend anyone.It is only when Maori tattoo designs are copied when someone else has already gotten that Maori tattoo already within a Maori tribe that make them feel that their spirituality is being stolen
One of the primary reasons that the maori tattoo was so important and formed a solid role within their culture was that they would be able to trace their ancestry over generations and this would also allow them while they were on the battlefield to know who they were fighting as their lives literally depended on these maori tattoo designs
certain Maori can still trace their families using these tattoos There are some leaders of maoris that are still alive today that would be able to look at certain designs and tell you who or from which tribe these tattoo`s belong too Some of these tattoos go back 2000 years, yes that right all through just looking at the design and finishing of the tattoo they will be able to tell certain maoris families origins. There is a story in each maori tattoo that you see, each one tells a little bit about this maoris tribe and is unique like a finger print to each tribe
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