Qualified authorities, region by region.
Keone Nunes
Practitioner Authority · Kākau uhi
Master practitioner and founder of the Pāuhi tattooing school in Wai‘anae; learned traditional tapping techniques from the late Sāmoan master Su‘a Sulu‘ape Paulo. The dossier identifies him as essential for validating contemporary Hawaiian protocols and tapping methodologies.
Kamali‘i Hanohano
Practitioner Authority · Continuity of kākau uhi
Apprentice to Keone Nunes; represents, per the dossier, the continuity and future of kākau uhi practice in Hawaiʻi.
Halena Kapuni-Reynolds
Academic / Curatorial Advisor
Associate Curator of Native Hawaiian History and Culture (NMAI); recommended for guiding historical contextualization of the Hawaiian module.
Malia Van Heukelem
Archival Advisor · UHM Library
Art Archivist Librarian at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; recommended for navigating visual archives and historical prints related to kākau uhi.
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
Institutional Archive · Material culture
Premier repository for Hawaiian material culture; the dossier recommends seeking integration for records of mōlī and historical prints.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Institutional Partner · Linguistic and academic
Source for linguistic validation, theses, and the Hawaiian Language Program; recommended as an institutional partner for the Hawaiian module.
Dr. Ngahuia Te Awekotuku
Academic Reviewer · Tā moko historiography
Academic and cultural expert recommended by the dossier for peer review of historical chronologies, theoretical frameworks of identity, and ethical guidelines around tā moko.
Dr. Stephen Pritchard
Academic Reviewer · Theoretical framework
Academic recommended by the dossier for peer review of theoretical frameworks of identity and ethical guidelines around tā moko.
Gordon Toi
Practitioner Contributor · Renowned tā moko practitioner
Renowned tā moko practitioner recommended by the dossier for verification of tool terminology (uhi, tā), contemporary technical adaptations, and the tā moko / kirituhi distinction.
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Institutional Archive · Primary source imagery
National museum recommended for provision of verified primary source imagery (tools, vessels) and historical metadata for Aotearoa and Tonga modules.
Te Puia (NZ Māori Arts and Crafts Institute)
Institutional Archive · Māori arts and crafts
Institutional archive recommended by the dossier for provision of verified primary source material relating to tā moko and related arts.
Sa Su‘a and Sa Tulou‘ena Clans
Hereditary Custodians · Primary Authority
Hereditary custodians of Sāmoan tatau knowledge; named holders in the dossier include Su‘a Lesa Moli Tusi‘ofo and Tulou‘ena Peni Fa‘amausili.
Sean Mallon and Sébastien Galliot
Academic Reviewers · Historical Chronology
Co-authors of the definitive historical text on Sāmoan tatau; a museum curator and an ethnologist recommended by the dossier as academic advisors.
Tupe Lualua
Cultural Reviewer · Contemporary Practice
Contemporary practitioner, dancer, and educator; provides first-person reflections on the malu (per dossier).
Lagi Malofie Society
Practitioner Society · Technical Advisors
Sāmoan customary tattooing operators' organization; convenes contemporary practitioners on health, safety, and revival documentation.
Terje Koloamatangi
Tufunga Tātatau · Tā Vaka revival
Tufunga tātatau focused on the revival of tātatau faka-Tonga; author of foundational texts on fonua and tattooing. Named by the dossier as a candidate for the platform's editorial board.
Thies Amelia Moran-Vaihu
Legal / Cultural Researcher
Legal and cultural researcher focusing on the aftermath of the Tongan cultural apocalypse and decolonial futures for tatatau.
National Library of New Zealand
Institutional Archive · Tongan records
Holds records, academic publications, and historical accounts related to Tongan culture; recommended by the dossier as an institutional partner for the Tongan module.
Tahiarii Yoram Pariente
Cultural Advisor · Spiritual contextualization
Cultural advisor highlighted in popular media in connection with Tahitian tatau; the dossier recommends formal outreach to confirm his role as a reviewer for spiritual contextualization.
Tricia Allen
Academic Reviewer · Secondary literature
Author of credible secondary academic literature on Polynesian tattoo traditions cited by the dossier's evidence-confidence rubric. Records that rely on her work are held at 'Medium (Provisional)' confidence pending direct review by contemporary ma‘ohi cultural advisors.
Su‘a Sulu‘ape Alaiva‘a Petelo
Cross-Regional Advisor · Sāmoan master, Pacific continuity
Traditional Sāmoan master tattooist whose lineage (with the late Su‘a Sulu‘ape Paulo II) is central to the modern revival of tatau in Tonga and beyond. Named by the dossier as a cross-regional advisor providing comparative context on unbroken Polynesian tapu protocols.
Pitt Rivers Museum
Institutional Archive · Body Arts collection
Oxford museum holding historical Polynesian tattooing tools (including au / uhi combs) in its Body Arts collection; the dossier recommends the museum as an institutional partner across the Marquesan, Tongan, Tahitian, and Sāmoan modules.
Academia de la Lengua Rapa Nui
Linguistic Authority · Orthographic review
Rapa Nui language academy identified by the dossier as the linguistic authority for orthographic review of Rapa Nui tattoo terminology (Ta Kona / Takona, uhi, kie‘a, and anatomical zones such as retu, humu, kona).
MAPSE Museo Rapa Nui
Institutional Archive · Rapa Nui heritage
Rapa Nui heritage museum named by the dossier as an institutional reviewer for designs historically linked to specific lineages or clans, and for provenance of pre-1862 material.
No authorities cited for this region
The research dossier and cited scholarly literature do not name specific authorities for this region. The directory only lists entries that are supported by a source, so this region is intentionally left blank.
No authorities cited for this region
The research dossier and cited scholarly literature do not name specific authorities for this region. The directory only lists entries that are supported by a source, so this region is intentionally left blank.
No authorities cited for this region
The research dossier and cited scholarly literature do not name specific authorities for this region. The directory only lists entries that are supported by a source, so this region is intentionally left blank.