Indigenous Tattooing

This Website started out as part of an Undergraduate project, I am begining to develop it as a resource for Indigneous tattooing in general. I will continue to use it to share my research as I journey through academia.

I have begun to develop a huge database of North American Indigenous Tattoo references, this storehouse of material is to help encourage other Indigenous peoples to reclaim their traditional tattooing practices.

The foundation of this webstie is the:

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Article Eleven, Section One:

“Indigenous peoples have the right to practice and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past present and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artefacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts and literature”

Who I am

My name is Dion Kaszas I am a Hungarian, French, Metis, and  Nlaka'pamux man, who is enrolled in my Undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan, majoring in Indigenous Studies and minoring in Fine Arts. I am a tattoo artist at Vertigo tattoos and body piercing in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada. I am begining to specialize in North Ameircan Indigenous tattoos, this includes traditional hand tattooing methods.     

This website and the attached blog are a record of my journey into the Historical tattooing practices of my ancestors, as well as my revisioning of these practices for myself and for future generations of Nlaka'pamux peoples.

I will draw relevant connections with other nations and Indigenous peoples, where there is a logical connection, whether it be geogrpahical or in application process.

These connections will be with Interior Salish groups like, the Syilx (Okanagan), Secwepemc (Shuswap), Lillooet and many others, the list will grow as my research grows.

My Goals

To contribute to the reclaiming of my peoples cultural heritage

Provide resources for others investigations

Support Indigneous artists and their projects into the revitilization of their cultural tattooing practices

Make connections with others involved in the revitilization of their Indigneous Tattooing

 I will add content as I develop it or become aware of it

Please pass on any information you might think relevant to my endevours to dion@indigenoustattooing.com

Check out my blog at:

http://indigenoustattooing.com/blog