A New Zealand tour operator has admitted hiring Europeans and Israelis to dress up in traditional Maori costumes, poke out their tongues and simulate a haka, or indigenous dance, to lure tourists from cruise ships.
The Discovery Heritage Group director, Terina Puriri, who has Maori, German and English ancestry, dismissed outrage over the impostors, claiming she was making a positive contribution to the community as Maori were unwilling to promote their own heritage.
"Some of our Maori are too slack to promote themselves. Some of our Maori are too lazy to get out of bed to do that," Puriri said.
"They don't turn up and it's a known thing for Tauranga Maori to do that," she said.
Puriri said the foreign performers who worked for her had learnt Maori customs and some of the local language, and had helped build a village on the outskirts of Tauranga, a port city on the east coast of the North Island, where the cruise ships docked.
"None of my team are backpackers or full-blood Maori. But the tourists love us purely because we are proud of our culture and we look beautiful."
She said the critics were merely "splitting hairs".
But Maori elder Iria Whiu said Puriri's comments were "highly insulting".
Details of the performers emerged after it was revealed that tourists were being charged $NZ5 (£2.20) by Auckland-born John Kairau to have their photo taken with a "Maori in traditional dress" – using their own camera.
Puriri's company, which had contracts with some cruise ships to provide cultural liaison and perform on board, was now banned from the ports.
The port's commercial manager, Graeme Marshall, said the performers were removed because they had false ID.
"The representation of who came through the gate into the port did not match up with their identification," he said.
Kairau, who drew a Maori design, normally etched into the skin by tattoo, on to his face with a marker pen, had also been asked to leave the wharf.
Puriri's performers now wait for potential customers outside the gates.
"They don't want culture on their port," she said.