An Interview With Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds: Part 1

Tū and I discuss globalization, cultural appropriation, and the evolving Māori identity. In our wide-ranging discussion, Tū explains how his facial “moko”, or traditional markings (tattoos), have changed his life.

Source: @krystalblackphoto

Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds is the bassist of Alien Weaponry and an unofficial Māori cultural ambassador.

Interested in his Māori heritage from a young age, he received moko, traditional Māori tattooed markings, on his face when he was just 22 years old. 

In this first half of our conversation, Tū discusses Māori culture, his family’s ever-changing multi-generational relationship with their Māori identity, and his views on globalization and cultural appropriation. 

Tū also explains in-depth about the painful process of receiving his moko and how it was an intensely spiritual experience. As an atheist, the spiritual aspect came as a surprise.

Not only was the process itself an unforgettable journey, once completed, it changed his appearance forever. Tū knew that his life would never be the same again. 

Introduction to Māori History, Culture, and Practices

Without further ado, please enjoy my discussion with Tūranga:

Ryan: For those who don’t know, could you please explain who the Māori are?

Tū: Yeah! Māori are the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, belonging to the Polynesian subgroup. Polynesia is a very broad group of people belonging to the cultures of the Pacific islands.

We Māori settled here down in New Zealand, at the very bottom of the world. 

What got you interested in learning about your culture? You studied that in school, too, correct? 

Yeah, I did so. Both of my parents are Māori, and they always raised me in an environment where I was aware of it. 

It wasn’t something that I had to fully pursue on my own later in life. However, my parents don’t speak the language. That was something that I had to pursue outside of our home. 

So you didn’t grow up speaking Māori?

No, not conversationally. It was always, I guess, like the Māori equivalent of Spanglish.

For example, growing up I don’t think I ever said “hat,” I would always say “potai.” So there were certain words that we always grew up with.

The language is something I’m still learning, but I really picked it up in university.

It’s not something that I’ve had a boost in. It’s just been a continual passion from day one. 

Does your family not have as much interest? 

So my mum, for example. My mum’s side is the side that we have the non-Māori. My grandmother has Scottish heritage. My grandpa, who was the Māori on my mum’s side, he wasn’t around as a father. 

So, my mum’s upbringing was predominantly from her mother, who was non-Māori. However, she was a very passionate Māori activist and stood for things Māori.

She was well aware that she was Māori, and her mum encouraged these things. But Nan wasn’t Māori at the end of the day, so her knowledge would reach a point as far as she could go.

And then, with my dad, that was the Mormon side. So, their relationship with being Māori was different again. 

It wasn’t non-existent. My nan was always very proudly Māori. But there were definitely things they didn’t do because the church replaced those practices. 

Neither of my parents learned the language, even though my grandmothers all spoke fluently. 

My grandparents were alive during the period when you were beaten at school for speaking Māori. So, when they had their kids they didn’t teach the language because it was so suppressed out of them in their youth.

That was like the lost generation of our language. Particularly tough was that schooling period where you would be physically beaten if you spoke anything other than English.

As a result, many in our parents’ and grandparents’ generations didn’t get the language because their parents were so traumatized from that period of their upbringing that they just didn’t pass it on. 

So it’s been an interesting thing where they were always aware of their culture. And, from a societal perspective, they were always treated as Māori.

I’m quite pale when compared to my parents. When looking at me with my parents, people wonder, “How did he come out with that skin color?” 

My parents have always been treated as Māori. So their experience in the public eye, whether connected to the culture or not, is that of a brown person. 

They have come more into the culture as my passion for it has continued to grow. Both of my parents, I think, have done a little bit of a loop back around into their passion for things Māori. 

How has Māori culture changed with colonization? 

It’s been quite a journey since the British arrived here.

As we know from colonial history around the world, it starts very slowly but surely. Initially, it seems quite peaceful, and then things kind of go wrong.