 |
Kirituhi - Moko InspiredTattoos Which Respect Maori CultureKirituhi is a Maori form of body adornment which is painted onto the skin using a mixture of charcoal. It goes back to earliest times of Maori life. Throughout history, Moko (traditional Maori tattooing) became the most recognized form of skin decoration and Kirituhi became less and less practiced. Although that was to change.In the modern day world Kirituhi can be seen on the New Zealand rugby teams as they perform the Haka which is a Maori war dance. This was mirrored by a revival in Maori culture which led to a lot of Maori rediscovering and wearing Ta Moko. Alongside this Moko renaissance many high profile musicians such as Robbie Williams and Ben Harper got Moko inspired tattoos. This inevitably led to an outcry by Indigenous Maori claiming that Pakeha (white face!) should not be allowed to exploit indigenous culture.  Kirituhi by Inia of Moko Ink © Tao of Tattoos Out of these circumstances Kirituhi was revived to accommodate this worldwide interest in Maori culture. Although the revived Kirituhi had to modified to suit not only the interest in Maori culture and art but also the worldwide revival in tattoos. So the ancient form of Kirituhi which was painted onto the skin using charcoal pain would now be tattooed onto the skin. Most importantly, to honor the integrity of Maori culture Kirituhi would NOT contain Whakapapa which is the family/tribal genealogy or Kaupapa which is the family/tribal stories. At the same time it would satisfy the demand and interest in Moko without offending a Maori person who believed that a non Maori person should ever be allowed to receive Moko tattoos. For those non Maori people who are attracted by Moko art it is suggested to go for Kirituhi instead to avoid any accusations of cultural theft or being labeled a fake. Maori culture has endured cultural imperialism for hundreds of years. For a non Maori person copying a Maori tattoo is akin to the colonialists who sailed into their land and plundered their artifacts and artworks without their permission.  Maori inspired tattoo © Andy, Belfast Northern Ireland Show respect - Never ask a tattoo artist to copy traditional Ta Moko! Check Out These Awesome Tattoo Designs Below  Click to View More Tattoo Designs in This Massive Collection of Tattoo Art!
|
