Across the Pacific, tattoos are etched into the culture. Finding meaning in your own ‘story on skin’ helps honor the tradition
Photograph by ROBERT HARDING PICTURE LIBRARY, Nat Geo Image CollectionThe unique quality of Polynesian tattoo designs has inspired visitors, including me, to take home a more permanent souvenir. But as we consider the difference between honoring and appropriating a culture, how should travelers who aren’t part of that culture get a tattoo respectfully?
“Depending on the archipelago where you came from, tatau was practiced differently and symbols had different meanings,” notes Samuela. “For example, people living on [an] island with mountains or an atoll with only coconut trees use different earth symbols based on their own experience.”Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.: This spiral shape represents a fiddlehead fern, symbolizing the start of a new life in Marquesan tattoo culture.
Instead of first drawing a tattoo stencil on paper and transferring it onto the skin, many Polynesian artists sketch the design directly on the body with a pen. That freehand sketch allows the tattooist the flexibility to shape a one-of-a-kind composition as they go. “Every tattoo I have took me three years—from the time I started thinking about it, to the time it took to find the right artist, to talking with that artist about the symbolism behind it,” says Tahiarii Yoram Pariente, a Polynesian cultural advisor and conservator based on Raʻiātea. “The pain and symbolism in the act of the tattoo is very internal, and what you see isn’t necessarily what you get. People don’t automatically understand your story just by looking at your tattoo.
While tattoo artists advise care and consideration in choosing how to commemorate your personal story, they encourage travelers to not lose interest. Tata stresses the positivity in being curious and sensitive to tatau’s traditional origins. “Don’t be afraid of tattoos,” he says. “I think it’s an honor to share my culture with others, and it’s in a way that carries my culture throughout the world.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
Gov. Newsom declares state of emergency amid spread of monkeypox across CaliforniaGovernor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency as part of California's response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak.
Baca lebih lajut »
Temperatures expected to cool across western Washington this weekAfter six straight days of 90° heat, temperatures are cooling off Monday, with temperatures 8-15 degrees cooler than Sunday!
Baca lebih lajut »
Replanting trees in the aftermath of natural disasters | Across the Sky podcastTrees destroyed in a natural disaster need to be replaced. Learn about the work of Retreet on the Across the Sky podcast.
Baca lebih lajut »
Operation School Bell helps students in need across the ValleyOperation School Bell provides school wardrobes for students in need across the Valley. Here's how your student can get help:
Baca lebih lajut »
2 found dead in charred car within California wildfire zone; blazes burn across the WestAt least two people have died from a raging California blaze that's one of several menacing thousands of homes Monday in the western U.S.
Baca lebih lajut »