ARTH321

History of Design
Australian Aboriginals and Maori Hairstyles
Adora Hoyte 0081982
27th October 2016
Word # 752

Throughout many civilizations so far we have discovered just how different hair can be for different people
over the world but one thing that remains the same is the fact that hair is very important to these different
nations and they also play a part in identifying social statuses among other things.
With naturally blonde hair it is often to assume to be associated with white or caucasian people.
However there are groups of dark skinned people who have this naturally occurring blonde hair, such
groups include the Australian Aboriginals otherwise known as aborigines. Some of them have straight
blonde hair while others are curly or kinky haired blondes. It was believed that they have this hair
colour due to the mixture of DNA with Europeans, however scientists have found evidence stating
otherwise. They had gotten their hands of a lock of hair in order to determine their origin. Published by
the New York times " The Aborigines are thus direct descendants of the first modern humans to leave
Africa without any genetic mixture from other races so far as can be seen at present. Their dark skin
reflects an African origin and a Migration and a residence in latitudes near the equator, unlike
Europeans and Asians whose ancestors gained the paler skin necessary for living in northern latitudes."
In New Zealand in the Maori Island oral traditions record a wide variety of high status hairstyles
identified by different names. There were styles consisting of twists and knots, they had names such as
the tiki, putiki, tikitiki, tuki, koukou and rahiri. But due to early Europeans translating the various names
into no specific terms as 'topknots' most of the styles and their local affiliations were lost.
The importance of term tikitiki was derived from the birth of Maui, he was born prematurely and
thought to be a stillborn. His mother cut her top knot off and wrapped the child in it. He was rescued
and raised by Tarangora who taught him magic and many myths involved this demigod. The topknot or
tikitiki therefore signifies power like that of Maui.
Not much information is recorded on women's hairstyles in Maori but women who were about to
sacrifice themselves would have their hair dressed up as part of a figure to be remembered.
Traditionally the head was considered to be the most sacred part of the body and therefore a person of
high status must only have their hair done by another person of higher status. In addition to hair being
used to relate different messages, an unkempt hair would signify being sacred or tapu. Rapa Mamae was
a similar style as a sign of mourning generally for one whose death has not yet been avenged.
The style called tiotio had a long plait of hair on the left temple while the rest of the hair shaved or
closely cropped. Similarly to the Egyptian children with their whole heads shaved with the exception of a
braid or lock of hair. A closely cropped hair was also a sign of mourning. To add, the hair of a prisoner
with a high status was sometimes shaved in order to signify that all their power is destroyed.
In terms of hairdressing items, the maori would use oils and ochre which is a red pigment extracted
from clay to dress their hair. The Maori followed the Polynesian custom of the men wearing their hair
long and tying it in a top knot. Feathers were stuck into the tikitiki by their quills. Feathers of the Huia
were regarded as the most valuable. The Albatross, long tailed Cuckoo and Heron feathers were also
valued.Combs were made from wood or different types of bone and were stuck into the hair as a form
of decoration. Amore valuable comb was made of whale bone in one piece with a human head carved

on one side. The best oil was derived from pressed titoki berries and perfume. In a berry shortage shark
liver oil was used instead and red ochre was highly regarded.

These civilizations has once again proven that with different civilizations comes different variations in
hair and ways of styling it. The topknots in our current society has evolved into what we know now as
the man bun sported by many men with long hair.

Aboriginals with natural blonde hair

Top knot

Bibliography
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-BucTheC-t1-g1-t2-body1-d13-d3.html
http://www.1blessednatural.com/2013/09/aborigines-and-melanesians-naturally.html
http://www.answers.com/Q/Why_are_the_Maori_important#slide=1
http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2005/08/blonde-australian-aboriginals.php
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/maori-clothing-and-adornment-kakahu-maori/page-6
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/science/23aborigines.html?_r=0