A leading tā moko artist has said that education is the best way to ensure people with sacred tattoos aren’t discriminated against.
It comes after a Māori SAS veteran living in Australia was refused service at a pub because of his moko.
Michael Barclay decided to stop in at the Hotel Windsor in Perth for dinner with his wife before a lawn bowls tournament.
While looking at the menu, a member of staff said they couldn’t serve him because of his facial tattoo.
Despite explaining the cultural significance of his tā moko and being backed by other patrons at the bar, the manager still refused to serve him.
“To be treated in this way was disrespectful, embarrassing,” he told Breakfast this morning.
“It’s mixed emotions, which needs to be talked about, and people need to be educated so they don’t make these racist judgements and comments moving foward.”
Joni Brooking, a leading tā moko artist in Aotearoa, said she knows “a handful of incidents where that has happened overseas, also here in Aotearoa”.
When speaking about Barclay’s ordeal, Brooking said: “It’s a shame that this has happened to him.”
“It highlights the importance and significance of education to not only our own but the wider communities.”
Brooking wants to see venue owners work collectively to address it and “actually educate their staff”.
“We expect that when we enter the lands of others, we will be equally treated as any other indigenous people.
“When it comes to moko, the significance, it’s nothing new. It’s something that's been revived, but the significance is that it's about our identity as a cultural people, as an indigenous people.
“It’s deeper than just skin.”
SHARE ME