A Melbourne bar has drawn criticism for its use of an image of a former mayor with a tā moko drawn on his face as part of its promotion for a Waitangi Day event. Freddie Wimpoles, named after former St Kilda mayor Frederick Wimpole, has used a historic photo of Wimpole and added a tā moko and a Māori cloak.
Steph Coutts, co-founder of the Wellington-based beer education business Craft Beer College, said that she had previously been in touch with the bar to warn them of the offence they would cause by using the image.
“Unfortunately, the manager from Wimpoles chose to highlight that as he was a New Zealander, there was no problem with the imagery,” Coutts said. “[The bar] sought permission for using the image of Frederick Wimpole in association with the bar. They didn't appreciate that they need the permission of the owner of the tā moko. And, if they just made the tā moko up, they were culturally appropriating something important and sacred to Māori.”
Māori culture advocates have also slammed the bar.
"It is being disrespectful to the person's whole genealogy, or simply mocking Māori cultures,” said advocate Karaitiana Taiuru, noting that simply because the organiser was Māori, it did not give them free licence to use the imagery.
“All Māori are born with whakapapa but not all Māori are Māori practitioners with traditional and customary knowledge.”
The bar has since removed the image of Wimpole.
