Tā moko: Marked Histories and Identities Te Ara Poutama Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Development An exegesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2019 Michaela Ngaropaki Teresa Hart Karakia Tā moko (Tapuika) Kikiwa, kikiwa Matao te uhi Ki tua o whare wera Tohu te parapara Rewa te ngarahu Kia mangu Kia u, kia ita e! Ready the mind For the cutting edge of the chisel Beyond pain Carry out the rites Embed the pigment And be fixed The outstanding quality 2 1. Abstract The primary objective of this work is to examine the way in which ideas about cultural identity are reflected in the current practice of tā moko. The research question asks, does tā moko carry cultural identity for contemporary wearers? What emerges in this study is the way in which contemporary notions of Māori identity – as manifested in tā moko – draw on traditional forms of the art and are imbued with pre-European Māori cultural concepts. However, the modern practice of tā moko also involves an extent of individual agency that is far greater than existed in any previous period. The conclusion reached here is that while the forms, symbolism, and historical resonance of contemporary tā moko are all the choice of the individual receiving the moko (an abrupt departure from traditional practices of tā moko), they are nonetheless an expression of traditional notions of Māori identity. The study uses triangulation of identity theories and qualitative methods that complement an overarching Kaupapa Māori approach. There are two main components as the exegesis is supported by a website. The third, a photographic book to showcase the art of tā moko. The captions linked to the photographs relate specifically to the research question. The website is designed as an online Māori development paper informed by this study. The photographic book relates directly to the research question and provides a voice for contemporary wearers to articulate in their own words the meanings and symbolism associated with their tā moko. It brings into focus in a creative way, the intent of the study which emphasises current practice, to explore symbolic messages that express history and identity. 3 Table of Contents ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................ 3 LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................ 6 ATTESTATION OF AUTHORSHIP ..................................................................................................... 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................... 8 ETHICS DECLARATION ................................................................................................................... 10 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DECLARATION .............................................................................. 11 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 12 1.1 A NOTE ABOUT CULTURAL APPROPRIATION ............................................................................... 12 1.2 OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS ............................................................................................................ 12 CHAPTER TWO: POSITIONING OF THE RESEARCHER ............................................................. 15 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN ........................................................................................ 20 3.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 20 3.2 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES ............................................................................................... 20 3.3 QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS ......................................................................................................... 24 3.4 INTERVIEW PROCESS ................................................................................................................... 25 3.5 THEMATIC ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................. 25 3.6 DIGITAL ARTEFACT AS A RESEARCH OUTPUT ............................................................................. 26 3.7 THE INTERFACE BETWEEN IDENTITY THEORY AND THE ARTEFACT ............................................ 27 3.8 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER FOUR: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS ...................................................................... 30 4.1 TĀ MOKO IN HISTORY.................................................................................................................. 30 4.2 PRE-EUROPEAN: EARLY LITERATURE ON TĀ MOKO ................................................................... 30 4.3 EARLY CONTACT PERIOD: EARLY EUROPEAN UNDERSTANDINGS OF MOKO .............................. 31 4.4 COLONIAL ERA: THE DECLINE AND REVIVAL OF MOKO .............................................................. 32 4.5 THE SHIFT IN AGENCY: THE ROLE OF THE TOHUNGA TĀ MOKO .................................................. 33 4.6 TĀ MOKO AND THEORIES OF IDENTITY ....................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER FIVE: CONTEMPORARY TĀ MOKO EXPERIENCES ................................................ 40 5.1 RESEARCH FINDINGS FROM IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS .................................................................... 40 Theme 1: Current practice of tā moko carries symbolic messages to express history and identity ...................................................................................................................................................... 40 Theme 2: Tā moko is still authentic and sacred, regardless of the dramatic changes in agency since traditional times .................................................................................................................. 46 Theme 3: Because of colonisation, it is more important now than ever before, to receive a tā moko to resist any future attempts to diminish it as an aspect of Māori culture and to diminish any misconceptions surrounding moko, including those believed by Māori themselves. ............ 49 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER SIX: DIGITAL TĀ MOKO ............................................................................................... 51 6.1 DESIGN OF FULL WEBSITE ........................................................................................................... 51 6.2 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 58 CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 60 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 62 APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................................... 70 APPENDIX 1: LINK TO WEBSITE AND PASSWORD .......................................................................... 70 4 APPENDIX 2: SPEQ REPORT SEMESTER 1, 2019 ............................................................................ 71 APPENDIX 3: ETHICS APPROVAL DOCUMENT ............................................................................... 73 5 List of Figures Figure 1: David “Moko” Hart. ................................................................................................... 8 Figure 2: Ngaropaki Ereatara. .................................................................................................. 15 Figure 3: Author’s tā moko, personal collection, 2019 ........................................................... 17 Figure 4: Image of note left by David Hart at his shop, provided by Adrian .......................... 18 Figure 5: Author’s 21st carving, personal collection, 2019 ...................................................... 19 Figure 6: Kaupapa Māori methodological approach designed specifically for the project ..... 21 Figure 7: Method section for assignment one .......................................................................... 22 Figure 8: Table of interview methodologies ............................................................................ 24 Figure 9: Profile of research participants ................................................................................. 25 Figure 10: Screenshot of homepage with photograph by Adrian Malloch .............................. 27 Figure 11: Screenshot: Method for assignment two. ............................................................... 28 Figure 12: Wiremu Barriball. Photographer permission given by Rawiri Biel ....................... 29 Figure 13: Participant G .......................................................................................................... 41 Figure 14: Participant C ..........................................................................................................