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Posted: Hey, I'm from New Zealand. I live in Hamilton I'm half Maori. It pretty much depends on what type of tattoo you want, like if you just copy one from what you've seen in a picture it could be a weird. For example some tattoos are like a story of a persons life and what they've done so it would be stupid to have someone elses life story on your body and not know what it means. I'm thinking of getting a Koru tattooed onto my back because i'm leaving home in a week and it symbolises a new begining. And you can be move original with the designs put onto it. Anyone seen Whale Rider???
Frankie
Dragon7GOLD Member addict 625 posts Location: Aotearoa (NZ), New Zealand
Posted: Tautoko. Thats true. In a way Maori are very simila to American Indians in spiritual ideals. A moko (tatu) is totally sacred, noone ever had the same moko, i was lucky enough to study the meaning of alot of moko and can read it like hyroglyphics. There is alot of debate between maori right now, to the point where allmost all true "schooled at the wananga" maori moko artists have divided moko in 2 divisions.
1 strictly for tribal ideals
2 for "outsiders"
Because its totally disrecpectfull to copy a moko that says that my ancestor is YOU! that you come from my tribe, that you are a master of weapons and a teacher of tribal lore. There are parts and designs you can use, but if you were a guy would you want you moko to say you were a girl :P
As far as every race has spirals, SURE thats true, but maori spirals have a special way of being done, so you could see just by the outline thats its "true" or not.
We Maori love and respect our culture, why not delve into your own culture and use your own designs we all should be proud of who we are and respect eachother.
See the design of fire in my avatar...in Maaori it means "Tane" male. Live it.
_Clare_BRONZE Member Still wiggling 5,967 posts Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)
Posted: Kia Ora
When I was in NZ last year I went through a fairly rough time with a Pakeha guy I was seeing... but when I left Auckland I met a Maori guy who did some bone carving.
Of course, it was a touristy thing, but I told him my story and we came up with a carving encorporating a Koru and spiral.
I know my pounamu may not hold the authentic heritage of true Maori culture, but it is very precious to me because of what it represents... and because of the words that man told me as we worked on the carving.
Anyways... Whale Rider is a stunning film (I've seen it loads of times, and it always makes me get a bit teary), and does far more for the contemporary Maori community than Once Were Warriors.
Posted: wow... so sometimes i DO actually make sense... boggles the mind...
-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing -Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty. -When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.