Interview With Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds: Part 2

In this second part of my conversation with Tū, we discuss Māori ritual experience and traditional clothing. Tū also addresses common misconceptions about traditional Māori markings.

Source: @islay_imagery

We left off our conversation talking about cultural appropriation and representation. Here in part two, Tūranga explains what it was like to get facial moko, or traditional Māori markings (i.e. tattoos). 

He outlines his unexpected spiritual experience and how his life has changed since getting moko. 

He also describes traditional Māori clothing and how it has gained cultural significance over time within his community.  

In case you missed it, here’s part one of the interview. 

Discussing Māori Markings, Dispelling Misconceptions, and Traditional Clothing

Here’s the second half of my conversation with Tū:

Ryan: How has your moko [traditional markings — i.e. tattoos] changed your daily interactions with people? I imagine you get to a point where some days you’re at the grocery store trying to buy bread, and you feel sick of people staring. 

Tū: All of a sudden, I can’t walk out the door without somebody looking at me. 

Of course, as a touring musician as well. I get to go to places that I’ve never seen before. 

I always preface that the only times I’ve ever had negative experiences have been in New Zealand. 

Though, of course, if I’m in the middle of Belgium or somewhere and I get a weird stare from an old lady, I’m not going to be that offended. People in many places have never seen anything like it. 

In a way, I think I’d be almost a bit ignorant to expect anything less sometimes.

I was well aware of what I was getting into. So, I’m not going to go out there and complain every time somebody looks at me. 

Sometimes we get people who get the moko on the face when they’re not quite ready for the public side of it — how it changes your everyday life. 

You almost become a Māori ambassador by default. 

That’s right. You change. 

Once upon a time, I was in university partying out in the streets, drunk, in the middle of the morning.

Not anymore. With face moko, you become instantly recognizable, at least in our country, as Māori. If you’re causing any issues, if you’re causing any headlines, you wouldn’t be “just a guy” you’d be that “Māori guy”. 

And further you’d just add to the perpetuation of negative stereotypes and negative associations. 

The other interesting thing is that, for someone like me, without moko I wouldn’t be instantly recognizable as Māori.

After getting moko, lots of Māori, now more than ever, will come up and be like, “Oh, wassup G?!”.

It’s sparked a lot more interaction on a day-to-day basis with other Māori than I ever used to have.

In my experience, it’s been relatively positive. But I’m also not really somebody who is uncomfortable with people looking at me anyway. So, the stares are not something I’ve noticed that much.