CHAPTER THIRTEEN
He moko kanohi, he tohu aroha
Jani Katarina Taituha Wilson (Ngāti Awa, Ngā Puhi, Mātaatua)
(A tattooed face, a sign of affection): Māori Facial Tattoos in New Zealand Feature Film History A promise to Niwareka Niwareka, e ngaro nei, kei hea koe? (The lost one, where are you?) Kai whakaputa mai Niwareka, Niwareka! (Come forth Niwareka!) Nau au i kukume iho mai ki raro nei (It was you who lured me below), Niwareka! Niwareka! E kai ana nei te aroha (Love devours me), Niwareka! Niwareka! Here pu rawa koe i au (I need you to forgive me.1, 2 Uetonga was the chief of the tūrehu3 in Rarohenga, the underworld. He had the most stunning daughter named Niwareka. She ventured up into te ao tūroa4 where Mataora – a mortal chief – won her heart, and they married. Comparatively pale amongst the dusky people from the world above, Niwareka stood out and drew much male attention. An insecure and jealous Mataora abused her, causing her to flee back to the refuge of Rarohenga and the peaceful tūrehu. Although the pathway was fraught with dangerous physical obstacles, an inconsolable Mataora secretly pursued her below. The tūrehu ridiculed him because of his poor treatment of their beloved Niwareka, but they sniggered and sneered too about his muddied appearance.5 When finally, he confronted Uetonga face-to-face, Mataora was ashamed as his tribal face paint was surely smeared from tears and exhaustion. Unlike his smudges and stains, Their intricate patterns6 were carved onto the faces of the tūrehu.7 Doubly humiliated, Mataora begged Uetonga’s forgiveness. As both a challenge and promise to never hurt his daughter again, Mataora asked Uetonga that his face be marked like theirs. In this sacred practice,
He moko kanohi, he tohu aroha
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