The art and culture were placed underground. Not to anyone’s surprise, these missionaries and others tried to change the Samoan culture of tattoos instead of simply learning about their culture positively.īy the 1850s, they attempted to reduce the amount the tattoos performed and erase an essential part of their culture. They learned about the tools and processes used to make these elaborate body decorations. The French saw marking on the Samoans all over their thighs and bodies, to the point that they almost need not wear clothing because their tattoos marked their entire bodies in decoration.Įarlier, in 1722, the Dutch also visited the Samoan islands and saw the Samoans wearing silk cloths on their bodies and also covered in tattoos.įor years after these first western encounters, many missionaries and those seeking exploration and trade visited the islands. Nonetheless, most historians find evidence of the tatau through explorations of westerners who visited the Samoan islands, such as documentation from the 1787 French expedition. The tatau is a 3000-year-old tradition that has a deep history surrounding marks of honor, tradition, respect, and pride.įor those who are not related to Samoan heritage, it may be taken as disrespectful to their culture to wear a tattoo that bears so many acts of honor in their traditions and culture. Today, Samoans still use a tattoo comb, banging it with a mallet for the ink to penetrate the skin. Traditionally, the tattooing instruments of the Samoans were made from wood, pigs tusks, turtle shells, or other organic objects to form a tattoo comb that was used along with a ground Indian ink or Kerosene soot in an empty coconut shell to perform the tattoo process. Their legs were specially decorated to show off their tattoos when wearing short skirts at dances at important events. Their purpose was for decoration, and to make the women more beautiful. He may eventually receive tattoos completely covering his body including his abdomen, rear, and legs.Īs opposed to the relative ease of men getting tatau, for women, the tatau were typically saved for high-ranking members of society. The tatau are more of a symbol of pride in Samoan culture.Ī Samoan male traditionally must ask his elders for approval for his tattoo request, and once it has been approved it is a proud moment for him. There is a misunderstanding that there are spiritual connotations.
However, in general, the tattoo markings are simply decorations for the body. To the Samoan people, tattoos are an intricate part of life, performed with excruciating pain that leads to accepting that person as a mature individual. Tatau in the Samoan community are meant to be a message to their community that they are prepared to enter adulthood and serve as a respected member of society.
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