Kiri’s Story
Kiri Neho is a young Maori
It was at the age of 12 that I first met a Maori
woman in a position of authority. She was my
teacher at the local intermediate school. She
became an important role model who gave me
hope that I could aspire to something more than
just working in a factory. I decided that I wanted to
become a teacher as well.
At teachers college I met other Maori. Some
came from poor Maori families, others were sons
and daughters of well educated Maori. I gradually
became more interested in my Maori heritage.
Many of the teachers were Maori, although the
principal was Pakeha and male. I started actively
participating in Maori traditions and decided to
pursue a dream that I had had ever since I was a
young teenager. I wanted a moko.
DISCUSSION
• Can one reason for getting a tattoo be
more “right” than another?
• Is it appropriate for a teacher to have a
moko on the face?
• Do you think that Kiri’s students will be
more proud oftheir heritage from seeing
their teacher with a moko?
• Does the tall poppy syndrome exist in
your country? Give examples of how it
might show.
^6
woman who grew up in a small
country area where only Pakeha
(white) teachers taught at the
local school. Like some of her
peers she soon learned to look
up to white adults and expect
little of herself.
My mother was not thrilled when I told her about
my plan. She daimed that if God had wanted me to
have a moko, I would have been born with it. But I
replied that by that logic, if God had wanted people
to wear clothes, they would have been born with
those as well.
I had my moko done with two friends from
college. First we had a session where the history
and tradition of moko was explained to us. After
this the design for the moko was decided on. My
moko represents my genealogy and my tribe.
During the process we were all helping each
other by stretching the skin for the tattooist as he
was working.
I am very proud of my moko. I don’t quite
understand the people who go to tattoo parlours,
choose a design from a book and then have a tattoo
just for decoration purposes. I myself put a lot of
effort into researching my family and tribal history
to find the design which was just right for me. I
wear it with pride as it is a daily tribute to my Maori
background and I want the world to know that I am
proud of being Maori.
People often stare at me in shopping malls
but the kids at school think it’s cool. I hope that I,
through my moko, can encourage the children to be
proud of their heritage and not, as I did, suffer from
the "Tall Poppy Syndrome”, so prevalent in New
Zealand society where anyone seen to be confident,
take initiative, or excelling is quickly cut down. I
believe that young Maori should be taught to hold
their heads high, and try for new horizons.
 TASKS
i. Kiri’s Story
WORKSHEET 12

2. The tall poppy syndrome

WORKSHEET 13A+B

Tall Poppy Syndrome

The Tall Poppy Syndrome is a slang term used
Down Under. It describes a tendency to
criticise successful people, people who stick
out from the crowd in the same way that tall
poppies stick out in a field!
The term originates from a story of a
Roman dictator, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus,
who made his son Sextus administrator of
Gabii, a conquered territory.
The inhabitants in Gabii were rebellious
and Sextus sent a messenger to his father,
askingfor advice. Instead of answering,
Tarquinius went out into his garden, took a
stick and chopped of the heads of the tallest
poppies. The messenger returned with this
symbolic answer and Sextus interpreted his
father’s answer to be that he should kill all the
prominent people of Gabii, which he then did.