By Julia André, ABC
Caleb Pokai says he is proud of his Māori culture. Photo: ABC/Glenn Mullane
A Gold Coast Māori man says he was discriminated against by a Glitter Strip venue that barred him from entry because of his traditional tattoo, or tā moko.
Caleb Pokai, 24, was meant to be surprising a friend for their birthday at The Tropic restaurant, part of the Burleigh Pavilion, earlier this month.
But Pokai said security guards would not let him in after seeing the tā moko on his neck.
The intricate tattoo runs from behind his ear and down to his shoulder.
He said it represented strength, and his carrying of the weight of his family and ancestors on his shoulders.
Tā moko is a centuries-old tradition for Māori people, a rite of passage and symbol of cultural pride and storytelling.
Caleb Pokai's tā moko represents strength and carrying the weight of his family. Photo: ABC/Glenn Mullane
'I'm proud of my culture'
Pokai said he understood why a bar or restaurant would refuse entry to someone with gang-related or threatening tattoos, but his tā moko was "cultural art".
"I was dressed nice, I was presentable, polite, and wasn't intoxicated," he said.
"I should be able to sit down with a group of mates and eat dinner without having any dramas.
"I'm proud of my culture, my tā moko represents myself, my family, where I've come from and what I've been through."
The Burleigh Pavillion declined to discuss the matter, instead referring to its dress code, which stated "intimidating, aggressive or offensive tattoos aren't permitted".
A question of discrimination
Pokai's parents migrated to Australia before he was born and he was was raised on the Gold Coast.
Kiwi-born residents made up seven percent of the city's population, higher than other parts of Queensland and Australia, according to 2021 census data.
Pokai said it was disappointing some Gold Coast venues did not accept patrons with tā moko.
Others have also been refused entry to venues - and access to jobs - because of the body art.
Last month, a Wollongong man was refused entry to a local hotel because of his tā moko.
In 2019, Air New Zealand ended its own ban on staff having tattoos, to acknowledge the importance of tā moko to those with Māori heritage.
Queensland's Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination based on attributes that include race, but not tattoos.
The Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall said if a tattoo was a characteristic of a person's race, including their ethnicity or religion, then refusing service, entry or treating someone unfavourably because of it could be discrimination.
But the Queensland Human Rights Commission said it had never dealt with any claims of religious or racial discrimination relating specifically to tattoos.
Healing post-colonialism
Tā moko artist Turumakina Duley began learning about his craft 30 years ago, when he picked up a homemade tattoo gun and started practising designs on his friends.
Decades later, he moved to the Gold Coast to do tā moko from a home studio due to the high demand.
Turumakina Duley is kept busy doing tā moko six days a week. Photo: ABC/Glenn Mullane
He said the process of receiving a tā moko was far more personal and involved than just sitting for a simple tattoo.
Customers spend time with Duley and discuss ancestral connections to their homeland and their reasons for wanting a tā moko before they decide on a design.
"It's become a healing modality for our people," he said.
Each tā moko tells a different story and delves into the owner's ancestral ties. Photo: ABC/Glenn Mullane
Generations of Māori people missed out on the ritual in New Zealand when the country's parliament outlawed the teaching and practice of Māori culture through the 1907 Tohunga Suppression Act.
Duley said tā moko had more recently become a tool for his people to reclaim their culture and heal from years of colonial violence.
He said it was important for young Māori men like Pokai to fight back against discrimination.
"It's just ignorance at the end of the day... to stand up for that [tā moko] is a big thing."
- ABC
