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“This is where a distinction between the developments of the two peoples is apparent; Europeans were willing to assimilate to survive, even if it meant neglecting aspects of their heritage... however, not all Māori were and are willing to disregard features of Māoridom that have been passed down from our tūpuna”. specific culture’s tikanga. Feathered headdresses show their magical and spiritual importance for ceremonial purposes. Tā moko maps an identity. The purpose of tā moko is ultimately to tell a story, the story of the wearer’s life. Moko is an organic process: as a life progresses with various special events, milestones and rites of passage reached, the identity of the wearer develops. Ideally, moko is to develop with the wearer. Every drop of ink is a physical embodiment of a link to whakapapa. Although the notion of interconnectedness between the past, present and future may be a nice concept, there is additional pressure to wear your identity on your sleeve when you are seen as culturally displaced. As a fair Māori, I often feel the pressure to have a tā moko, with the thought that if I had a tā moko people would stop assuming that I am Pākehā. Maybe it’s the same logic as our cuzzies on The GC: “it’s cool to have a tā moko so everyone knows that you are Māori.” These social pressures to have tā moko take away from the essence and true cultural representation of what is Māori.
their people. That being said, many Europeans were accustomed to continually changing ideals. Their territories were invaded and their core religions changed. They were essentially an adaptable people at the mercy of the dominant authority of the time. Western culture is notorious for its pressure to assimilate. Various European entities have forced assimilation on one another; it is something that they are used to. It is a core feature of social Darwinism; if you want to survive, you assimilate. Māori were never forced to face this issue prior to colonisation, relatively unchallenged in their own whenua before the arrival of Pākehā. This is where a distinction between the developments of the two peoples is apparent; Europeans were willing to assimilate to survive, even if it meant neglecting aspects of their heritage. Māori were interested in new technologies of the Europeans; however, not all Māori were and are willing to disregard features of Māoridom that have been passed down from our tūpuna.
Tūpuna vs Ancestors
Obvious symbols of cultural identity do not create any greater association with a culture itself. But life in this ethnic melting pot is producing a diverse generation that struggles to identify with a singular culture. As a consequence, many of us will have to make judgments on which parts of our respective cultures to accept, as many will have conflicting ideas. My Pākehā heritage tells me to refrain from printing marks on my skin, but this clashes with the physical representation of my Māori identity. These problems are going to become dominant in the lives of all New Zealanders. We live in the dawn of a new era where physical ethnic markers of culture will not become the core focus of culture itself. When we are stripped naked of these tangible symbols, we are left with the true essence of culture.
I have heard the criticism that many Māori outwardly express and participate in tikanga Māori, but fail to pay the same etiquette for their non-Māori heritage. My justification for this can be best explained in a waiata composed by Eru Timoko Ihaka: “Nō nga tūpuna Tuku iho, tuku iho” An emphasis is put on the practice of tūpuna passing down mātauranga Māori and the significance of preserving all things for future generations. Our tūpuna have insured that we remember them. We are educated through stories of our tūpuna embedded in mōteatea, waiata and toi whakairo, to name a few. On the other hand, my northwest-European ancestors’ essence has remained in their homeland. The ancestors left their homeland with the prospects of a new life, leaving behind luxuries and customs of
Hupane, kaupane, whiti te ra
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