Traditional Samoan tattoos and why they’re important to us
While tattooing originated centuries before the Pacific Islands were even populated, tatau – the Samoan tattoo artform – has been practiced from the beginning of Samoan history and carries a rich, complex significance in our culture. These days, it’s become popular to include so-called ‘tribal’ Samoan patterns in modern tattoos. We get them inked as […]
The Truth about the Samoan Tattoo (Tatau) – Part III
This is Part III of a series of posts about the Samoan tattoo – tauau. If you haven’t already, please check out the previous articles in this series: The Full Series The Truth about the Samoan Tattoo (Tatau)The Truth about the Samoan Tattoo (Tatau) – Part IIDo I have to be Samoan to get a […]
Do I have to be Samoan to get a Samoan tattoo?
This article is a bonus post in a series called: The Truth about the Samoan Tattoo (tatau)… which has so far sparked so much conversation in the comments section (below). This series is about the history of the tatau, about the cultural significance of the pe’a and malu tattoos, about the practice of receiving the […]
The Truth about the Samoan Tattoo (Tatau) – Part II
Back in 2010 I had the privilege of interviewing my Samoan culture teacher, Tofaeono Tanuvasa Tavale, outside of class. I had so many questions for him about our fascinating culture, but I especially wanted to know about our tatau (tattoo) traditions. That interview turned into several blog posts, including: The Truth about the Samoan Tattoo […]
The Truth about the Samoan Tattoo (Tatau)
Tattoo is an artform that’s been practiced around the world since… forever… but traditional Samoan tattoos – tatau – are an especially iconic expression of Samoan culture and the values we hold as a people. Over time, and partly because our tattoo patterns have become so popular in mainstream body art, many of us have […]