I have been looking for examples of historical tattoos of the Indigenous peoples of North America, some might refer to these peoples as Indians, Native Americans, Inuit, Eskimo, Aboriginal, or Indigenous. But the truth is all of these terms puts many nations under one name and denies the fact that many nations still live on [...]

Filed under: Early North American Indigenous Tattoos, Tattoo Revival

I previously posted an article about the story of Yaari Kingeekuk a Yupik artist who lives and works in Alaska as a cultural teacher and educator, and who is embodying her culture with traditional tattoos. I have gained her permission to post a few photos of her. Another Indigenous person in the process engaging the hegemonic ideal of beauty by tattooing [...]

Filed under: Cultural Capital, Decolonization, Identity, Inuit Tattooing, Skin Stitch Tattooing, St Lawrence Island, Tattoo Revival, Yupik

While searching the Canada Archives website I found these amazing paintings by John Verelst, the first painting is entitled. Sagayenkwaraton (baptized Brant). Named Sa Ga Yeath Qua Pieth Tow, King of the Maquas (Mohawk)  It depicts a Mohawk King with an amazing example of the rich history of Tattooing in North America among its Indigenous peoples. [...]

Filed under: Cultural Capital, Facial Tattooing, Identity, Lars Krutak, Tattoo Revival, Tattooing by Hand

After digging a little deeper at the Canadian Library and Archive I found some more Photos, you can access these pictures at   http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca.

Filed under: Facial Tattooing, Inuit Tattooing, Skin Stitch Tattooing, Tattooing by Hand

As I was researching online the other day I found these amazing photos taken in 1937 by the Photographer Donald B. Marsh. They Were taken at Eskimo Point, N.W.T., [Arviat (formerly Eskimo Point), Nunavut] and I found them at the Canadian Library and Archive. I found some other also at the Canadian Library and Archive, these are [...]

Filed under: Facial Tattooing, Inuit Tattooing, Skin Stitch Tattooing, Tattooing by Hand

After much research and alot of planning, I finally decided to begin practicing my traditional hand tattooing techniques. Here are the pictures of my first pieces, the skin stitch is four parallel lines which according to James Teit meant that the wearer was courageous, and then I tattooed three diamond shapes that represent lakes Witt [...]

Filed under: Decolonization, Identity, James Teit, Nlaka'pamux (Thompson Indian) Tattooing, Skin & Ink Magazine, Skin Stitch Tattooing, Tattoo Revival, Tattooing by Hand

My semester is over but indigenoustattooing.com is an ongoing project that will continue to be updated as much as I possibly can. I have updated the website with a few articles I wrote in 2011 on Tattooing and Indigenous and Nlaka’pamux Tattooing. I have also added a few scans of the reference material I created [...]

Filed under: Identity, Nlaka'pamux (Thompson Indian) Tattooing, Tattoo Revival, Website Update