The show of courage in a tribesman brings him or her appropriate tattoo, a kind of reward for bravery. This tattoo gives a special status to the person in the tribe. Particularly for men, the tattoos would cover the whole face, while the women would have tattoos on their lips and cheeks. At some instances, the women would have their neck covered with tattoos. In this way, the more tattoos a tribesman has, his status in the tribe increases, and on the other hand a person without any tattoo is considered to be worthless. The women in the tribe do not have many tattoos on their bodies since they do not need to be involved in activities which require courage, while most of such activities are left to men.
Maori have most of their tattoos on their faces. However, they also wear certain kinds of tattoos which are placed on their legs and buttocks. The difference between the body tattoos and what they have on their faces is that, the body tattoos are larger, with bigger curves and spirals and much sharper and distinct than those on their faces.