Uproar over 'Maori faces' | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

The traditional Maori moko is being used to frighten American children, and Rotorua Maori are not impressed.

Hollywood's horror and Halloween headquarters, Halloween Town, is selling "Maori face" tattoo kits in its shop and on its website for US$9.99 (NZ$16). A graphic of a traditional facial moko accompanies the advertisement for the kits.

However, Maori say ta moko is not frightening and they want the store to withdraw the packs from sale.

Waiariki Institute of Technology head of Te Pakaro A Ihenga school, Ngahihi o te ra Bidois spent eight years planning the ta moko tattooed on his face two years ago and isn't amused by the American kits.

"It's not appropriate. They obviously don't realise the mana associated with this type of taonga [treasure]," he said.

Ta moko was not scary, Mr Bidois said.

He has emailed the American company voicing his objection and asking for the kits to be withdrawn from sale.

"It is insulting ... what they are doing is not portraying Maori correctly," he said.

Mr Bidois is also considering raising the issue with the Human Rights Commission and the board managing the intellectual property rights of Maori.

Despite numerous attempts to contact the Los Angeles-based store, the owner has not returned calls or emails from the Daily Post.

Te Arawa's Hawea Vercoe said he was frustrated to once again find the Maori culture being used inappropriately.

"This has nothing whatsoever to do with Halloween. ... The moko is a mark of mana and prestige and not to be used flippantly for commercial creation," he said.

Traditionally chiefs were adorned with the moko.

Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell also stated his disappointment.

"Not only are these types of providers happy to appropriate the symbols and names belonging to first nation Americans but now they have spread out into the Pacific, to appropriate our indigenous symbols," he said.

Mr Flavell said Maori would not allow their culture to be exploited.

"We are not about to have pumpkins or people decorated with our traditional symbols, all for the purposes of a trick or a treat. The treat in fact, is to treat people with respect," he said.

Last week the Protected Objects and Appropriation Bill had its third reading in Parliament. If passed the legislation would halt the misuse of indigenous cultural acts and artefacts, Mr Flavell said.

"[This] is to prevent the type of exploitation that this so-called Maori Face tattoo kit represents. The finding of our symbols on a Halloween town store website, is an affront and an indication of disrespect, typical of people who want to make a quick buck, and will exploit anyone, to do so," he said.





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