How widespread is Moko on non-Maori?

--taken from tv3 site--
http://www.3news.co.nz/News/HowwidespreadisMokoonnonMaori/tabid/423/articleID/74221/Default.aspx?_cobr=MSN

How widespread is Moko on non-Maori?

Is it possible to copyright a culture? And can Maori protect the unique art form of Tau Moko from exploitation? Two Maori Moko artists have travelled to London for Te Uhi a Mataora - a group of Maori artists backed by Toi Maori - to look at how widespread the use of Moko has become. They are on a fact-finding mission but at the same time they want to spread the word that Moko is so much more than just a cool tattoo.

The International Tatoo convention is where all manner of weird and wonderful skin art and skin artists are on show. In amongst all this twenty first century body work are Richard Francis of Te Arawa and Patrick Takoko, Ngati Porou, exponents of the ancient Maori art of Tau Moko. They are here on a cultural mission in search of the inappropriate use of Moko

"Just been here half a day now and we've seen a lot of Moko on non-Maori people walking around so that's a sure indication that it's really popular within the mainstream now," says Ta Moko artist Richard Francis,

True Moko was originally a sign of great mana, a highly personal expression, often depicting the story of a person's journey through life.

But because it can so easily be copied Europeans and Americans are walking around with Mt Taranaki on their shoulder or the Waimakariri across their back, without realising it.

"I suppose the concern that I have is that designs are used inappropriately and they become culturally insensitive in a sense….where a Moko Kowhai which is a Moko design that is predominately used on females. It is inappropriate to see that in on a male, and there are lots of incidents around here where those sorts of activities happen," says Ta Moko artist Patrick Takoko.

None-the-less, there are many non-Maori who wear Moko, singer Robbie Williams is one. Another is American singer Ben Harper, while French designer Jean Paul Gaultier used the art form to promote his collection, each case prompted debates about cultural sensitivity.

"I think one's job as a Moko artist is that they create advocates for the art form. People like Ben Harper seem to be on the right track. I don't know too much about Robbie Williams being on the right track in terms of the way he talks about what he's got, and what he's adorned his body with," says Takoko.
They are not here to behave like the ‘Moko Police’, but Francis and Takoko are looking through as many portfolios as they can from Europe and America, to see just how widespread the reproduction of Moko has become.

They expected to find it being used as a fashion accessory, rather than a cultural statement. Surprisingly what they have found is tatooists are prepared to learn about the true meaning of the Moko.

"I don't copy Maori stuff on non-Maori people. I make them their own variations or designs. If they bring me something, a design, I say forget about it, go," explains one tattoo artist.

The reality is there is no way to control the copying of Moko.. But what they can do is promote appropriate use of it. So they've invented a specific style of tattoo for non-Maori.

"We reserve our Moko patterns for our own people within our own iwi, but for non-Maori we have a set of patterns that we call kirituhi that they receive, and they may tell a story and resemble a Moko but it's not the tribal patterns that we reserve for our own," says Francis.

Protecting the honour of Ta Moko is no easy mission, but the global meeting place of tattooists is as good a place as any to start spreading the message

"Just bringing back the integrity, the integrity of the art form so that people are wearing Moko now back home and being proud to be Maori," says Francis, proudly.