21 July 2016

Tupuna images on beer bottles leaves bad taste in the mouths of descendants

Māori Party Co-Leaders Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox are disappointed the branding of alcoholic beverages feature two prominent Te Arawa tupuna.

“I agree with the concerns raised by descendants of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai, who are outraged that their tupuna appear on a beer bottle, and rightly so” says Mr Flavell. “Gone are the days where the exploitation of someone else’s identity is allowed. The greatest care must be taken with tupuna names and the products they are linked to. This is about whakapapa and whakapapa is not to be misappropriated”.

Mrs Fox said “I have recently assisted with the return of an historic korowai which was sold on Trade Me, and also spoken out against the recent misappropriation of a tupuna image on a shower curtain, so to see another tupuna depicted in this way is a huge disappointment. We find it in poor taste that the image of some of our most iconic ancestors are being used in this way”.

“Birkenhead Brewing Company should take the first step and make contact with the appropriate entities to discuss the ongoing use of these images. This also serves as a warning to other breweries and bars who may also use tupuna names and images for profit, to think twice before doing so” concludes Mr Flavell.

ends

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