A question about cultural appropriation

The question: “What about the risk of causing cultural offence by including traditional Māori symbols and forms in your work?”

 This is a question some of my Pakeha (European New Zealand) artist friends have asked me and it is something that I needed to clarify with the wananga kaiako (teachers), as I was concerned that including them would cause offence and criticism for misappropriation of Māori imagery. It is an important question.

My tutors reassure me that the course is open to all New Zealanders, and that Māori symbols are a required part of the course.  There is no risk of cultural offence when, as a student you ‘do the mahi’ – i.e. engage in research (rangahau) that informs what you create, so within the context of Māori symbology, anyone who has done the rangahau will create unique patterns and designs that will say something about themselves. That would not be plagiarism or misappropriation. Cultural offence will be likely when Māori symbols and patterns are used with no knowledge, understanding or concern for what they mean.

As Level 4 tauira (students) our first assignment briefs require the practice and familiarity of Māori symbols, such as the curvilinear koru (unfurling fern frond) and the rectilinear tukutuku patterns. Students then research examples of these traditional patterns to get to know what they mean and how they tell the important stories of the ancestors – each whare nui therefore has unique kōwhaiwhai patterns that relate to the whanau and hapu who occupy the marae (village).

It is still early days and our cohort is well into the first semester – so the more we do the rangahau, the more we understand and become able to convey whanau stories with symbols and imagery as we paint. It is calming, precise and thought-provoking work.

Kay Bazzard is a Level four student at the Toimairangi school of Contemporary Māori Arts