The tikanga (custom, values, protocol) behind moko kauae was that only kuia (elderly women) would receive them, but today in New Zealand, you will see many Maori women wearing moko kauae. Moko kauae is a part of a wider political and cultural resurgence that is an assertion of tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake. Facial moko for Maori women was a chin tattoo or moko kauae. There were no set patterns to the Ta Moko and the meaning of the Ta Moko … Mahuta says her moko kauae is a gift that symbolises the many achievements within her iwi. Moko is uniquely Māori and it is strictly reserved to be done by Māori, for Māori. ... She explained the meaning of each design. It's a clever design because it incorporates both the fish and fish hook motif into one design. Like Ta Moko and Maori tattoo, they are worn to express something about the wearer. "Moko kauae is the sole right of Māori women. There were other specific terms for tattooing on other parts of the body. Moko meaning. And now she's hit headlines herself as the first person with a moko kauae to read mainstream news on TV. Occasionally women would put small markings over their faces or shoulders as a sign that someone close to them had died. Facial tattoos - moko kauae - are of particular importance. The upper lips were also outlined, using a dark blue pigment, and the nostrils were incised. People who have written languages often don’t know that Māori and others who didn’t instead expressed our history and folklore in art and design. Ta moko, the traditional tattoo symbolising a Maori’s heritage, is making a comeback after colonial suppression. It is an assertion of our political, cultural, social and spiritual aspirations as whānau, as hapū, as iwi, as Māori. Men's moko tend to cover their entire face, while the women's cover the chin. Eventually ‘moko’ came to be used for Māori tattooing in general. Now the art form is having a resurgence. Fools often rush in where angels fear to tread. The matau (fish hook) Shop matau (fish hook) designs > The fish hook symbol is said to represent prosperity and safe travel over water. The main thing is to really understand the meaning of this situation so that it lives on at the marae". Mahuta's six-year-old daughter wishes to get her very own moko kauae sometime in … When New Zealand was colonized in the 1800s, the ancient Māori practice of moko kauae—or sacred female facial tattooing—began to fade away. "I was a boisterous, inquisitive, know-it-all little girl," laughs Oriini, 36, who made her 1 News debut filling in as a midday presenter last month. Depending on their ranking, they may also have Ta Moko on their face. The term moko traditionally applied to male facial tattooing, while kauae referred to moko on the chins of women. Not only is it OK to make a race-based decision in applying moko kauae, but it is a requirement," said Mera Lee-Penehira, an …