Moko Ink
Moko
tattooing of the face or body. The reason why we wore the tattoo
on our face was to show everyone who we are... Family, Tribe,
Status etc. Using a complex language of marks, made in ink and
carved into the skin, one could determine anothers identity.

Tattoo Artist
THE JOURNALS of Europeans who settled New Zealand in the 1800s record that the intricate facial tattoos of the native Māori served not only as decoration but as the individual's legal identity as well. In effect, the Māoris WERE their tattoos.