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DR MERA LEE-PENEHIRA INTERVIEW
A Pakeha life coach has removed photographs of herself from her social media profile because of objections to her wearing a moko kauae.
Sally Anderson, whose Maori partner Roger Te Tai has a full face moko, had the chin tattoo done several years ago by noted moko artist Inia Taylor.
Dr Mera Lee-Penehira, an associate professor at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi School of Indigenous Graduate studies, says she definitely crossed a line.
"This is a taonga tuku iho and it's about whakapapa. It is offensive to us when it's taken from our whakapapa and it's taken on by women who don't have any relationship whatsoever to that genealogy so it is offensive and our stand isn't about Sally and it isn't about Inia. It's about wahine making a stand to protect ther integrfity of mokop kauae and moko kanahi," she says.
Dr Lee-Penehira says there is a difference between appreciating someone else's art forms and feeling it is yours to take.
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