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-THE BORACAY ISLAND LIFE-

In this image, Ngāpuhi elder and businessman Kingi Taurua displays his tā moko, which serves as a powerful representation of Māori identity and tradition.

The Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, have engaged in the art of facial tattooing for over a millennium.

These tattoos, referred to as 'tā moko', are traditionally carved into the skin using 'uhi' chisels, which create grooves alongside the ink. The pigments are often derived from burning kahikatea (white pine) or by mixing kauri gum with soot from the koromiko shrub, making each design both sacred and distinct.

Tā moko narrates the story of an individual’s ancestry and personal journey. For men, facial tattoos, known as Mataora, represented nobility and were imbued with deep cultural and spiritual significance, given that the head is regarded as the most sacred body part.

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