Matua Kahurangi: Marise Martin turned moko kauae into a costume

I have said this before, and I will keep saying it. The moko kauae and ta moko (facial tattoos) have lost their meaning.

What was once worn by warriors, rangatira, and people of genuine standing within Māori society has been stripped of its mana and turned into little more than a performative accessory. A shortcut to unearned authority. A visual demand for respect without the substance to back it up. A virtue-signalling barcode.

Take Marise Martin.

Geoff Parker: The symbolic coup of New Zealand

New Zealand is witnessing a striking revival of Māori iconography (symbolism) - tattooed faces or chin, bone/greenstone pendants used as identity markers, the flag of the Māori sovereignty movement flying at public events and governmental buildings, carved posts (pou) appearing in places where no such markers ever stood before and Māori carved gateway entrances (waharoa) installed at school entrances. Supporters call this a cultural renaissance. But there is a deeper political message woven through these symbols, one that goes beyond cultural pride: a deliberate statement of rejection of European civilisation and the legitimacy of the country’s colonial foundations.