Maori tattoos are both beautiful and meaningful, which is why many people are very interested in understanding what these tattoos are. Some people assume that there is just one Maori tattoo meaning attached to all of these designs, but the truth is that these tattoos can have an assortment of meanings, just like with any other type of tattooing style. On this page we will take a look at the type of tattoos that the Maori make and some of the more common Maori tattoo meanings.

The Maori are a tribe of Polynesian peoples, native to Polynesia but settled in New Zealand for hundreds of years. As with most peoples from Polynesia, the Maori have very distinct tribal imagery that has been used for tattooing for centuries. Some people may look at them and think they are looking at the “tribal tattoos” that they’ve seen on people from all over the world, but these are quite different than all of the other tribal tats that are out there.

Maori tattoos are known as Moko, a sacred art that has been used to mark chiefs, warriors, and significant people in the Maori culture. The designs are incredibly significant to the Maori people and are not meant to be marked on non-Maori peoples. It’s actually considered to be quite disrespectful to get a Moko tattoo if you are not an important part of the tribe and the fact is that these designs are easily distinguishable from the rest by anyone from within the Maori tribe.

There is a type of Maori design, Kirituhi, which is commonly accepted as appropriate for all people as it is more general. These are the more popular designs that you will see on people who are out and about in society. Also, these are the designs to look into if you are interested in getting a Maori tattoo. Don’t worry; there are plenty of great meanings found in the classic Maori tattoo designs. Otherwise, the process of Ta Moko is restricted to proud Maori people who seek to display their culture.