Air Colonisation

Air NZ are the biggest bunch of hypocrites and cultural liars around. They have misappropriated the koru for their advertising (to make money) and as their logo yet when a Māori woman applies for a role as an Air hostess and she has ta moko on her lower arm she is told the job interview is over.

NZH

Claire Nathan says she had her dreams of being an air hostess dashed after Air New Zealand turned her away because of her ta moko.

Ms Nathan applied for her dream job in January, but last month, the national flag carrier terminated an interview when she declared the traditional Maori motif on her lower arm.

It really irks me that they keep calling ta moko a tattoo - why can't they get their heads around the difference between getting inked for whatever reason and ta moko depicting cultural pride and a person's whakapapa.

Ms Nathan said she was told tattoos that could not be covered by the uniform were unacceptable.

"I said straight away, 'This is a ta moko.' She [the interviewer] said, 'You can't even cover that up' and that 'we will have to stop this interview.'

Air NZ should be renamed Air Colonisation because they perpetuate the othering and denigration of tangata whenua - but they are only too happy to use rock stars or rugby players covered with tattoos and ta moko, to advertise and make money, when it suits them.

How do you imagine a Māori woman feels after that interview?

"I was totally shocked and just couldn't believe what I was hearing."

 Ms Nathan said she never thought her ta moko - depicting her heritage and her two children - would limit her career choices.

It is so bad that tangata whenua get treated this way and I'd expect susan devoy the Race Relations Commissioner to get involved but she won't. But others will because

The Human Rights Commission says "a person of Maori descent may not be denied employment, entry to premises, or declined service because they wear moko visibly"

Air NZ you are about to find out the meaning of utu for your denigration of  Māori.