We are not your brand: Why Air New Zealand’s tā moko ban must end

How dare our national airline continue to brand itself with Indigenous symbols while rejecting employees who wear those same symbols on their bodies, writes Leonie Pihama. As I sit at a conference on the island of Maui, I see tā moko and kākau (a Hawaiian form of moko) proudly worn by Indigenous Peoples. The power … Read more

Summer reissue: Moko kauae is the right of all Māori women. It is not a right for anyone else.

Pākehā life coach Sally Anderson came under fire for receiving moko kauae, as has the tā moko artist that gave it to her. Leonie Pihama looks at the difference between rights and privilege when it comes to wāhine Māori and moko kauae. This post was first published 24 May 2018. Over the past few days I … Read more

Māori women talk about the future of moko kauae

The Spinoff talks to wāhine Māori about the history, present and future of moko kauae, as well as Inia Taylor, the tā moko artist behind the controversial moko kauae worn by life coach Sally Anderson. “Moko kauae is not for Pākehā!” That outcry by a group of wāhine Māori, prompted by a recent media investigation … Read more

Moko kauae is the right of all Māori women. It is not a right for anyone else.

Pākehā life coach Sally Anderson has come under fire this week for receiving moko kauae, as has the tā moko artist that gave it to her. Leonie Pihama looks at the difference between rights and privilege when it come to wāhine Māori and moko kauae. Over the past few days I have been watching from afar … Read more