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November 10, 2025
Taonga Cards: Māori Inspired Playing Cards – is it cultural misappropriation?
Waatea Team
Posted On November 10, 2025
A creator is courting support online in an effort to raise funds for a set of playing cards being called “Taonga Cards: Māori Inspired Playing Cards”. in a post online they say “I’m excited to share a project our small team has been working on for over a year – Taonga Cards, a deck inspired by Māori legends, art, and storytelling. Each card in the deck carries part of a larger connected story, blending traditional symbolism with contemporary illustration. The designs have gone through a few evolutions, and we’ve just completed two final versions that reflect the values of whakapapa (heritage) and wairua (spirit).”
However, the post is also raising controversy with some spoken to by Waatea suggesting it’s “cultural misappropriation” while others are saying that some cards in the deck depict “dead pakeha”
The organisation concerned is seeking to raise just over $6,000 by calling it “A custom deck celebrating Aotearoa’s (New Zealand’s) Māori art and legends – by WakaCraft.”
Instead, Waatea had questions:
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Who is WakaCraft
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Why are there dead pakeha on some of the cards
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What is your company’s connection to Te Ao Māori?
More to come
Images: Sourced online
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