Maori moko undergoes a resurgence

Ta moko is becoming more of a permanent sight among Maori women in Wanganui.

Wanganui ta moko artist Ngahina Gardiner said, in recent years, there had been an increase in interest and demand for ta moko, the art of tattooing using Maori designs.

He said just as many women as men were getting ta moko and more were choosing to get moko kauae - a chin moko.

"There's been a big increase in women receiving it."

Kaiwhaiki Marae descendent Kiritahi Takiari, who carries the moko of her great-grandmother, said it was her honour to encourage the resurgence of an old tradition that told a story of Maori genealogy.

"My moko kauae, as a woman of the Whanganui River, is not just a gimmick, an advertisement, nor a political statement. It has been part of the planned course of my life, where I was brought up by my mother, nannies and whanau on our marae Kaiwhaiki to love my culture, our language, and the traditions of our people," she said.

She said the women who had been chosen and chose to wear moko kauae had committed to many roles to keep Maori culture and language alive.

"Whether it be through our song, creative arts, working on the land, corporate business, or upholding our marae as Kaikaranga - custodians to call and welcome others."

Ms Takiari said she wore her genealogy on her skin. "A pride that cannot be rubbed off, that comes with me wherever I go - at home or around the world - to reiterate that our culture and our people are amazing."

The increase in women receiving ta moko is not just in Wanganui. A Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi doctoral student claims 40 per cent of Maori women have or are thinking of getting ta moko.

Mr Gardiner said he has also noticed a number of Australian Maori getting ta moko to regain some of their identity. And an increasing number of Pakeha and people from as far afield as Spain and the Galapagos Islands had come to his Wanganui studio for the tattoos.

"It can bother other practitioners but not me - as long as they come with a good reason to do it," he said.

There are currently about 10 ta moko artists in Wanganui."I believe there was a time where it was dying out. In the 80s and 90s, there was a significant decline, but a few ta moko practitioners brought it back to life."