Favorite Field-Related Tattoos

[PhDerp]

I was inspired by DigDeep's post but didn't want to hijack a different thread. So you can thank for this one!

What are your favorite tattoos that people have gotten based on something academic?

My favorite is a wug tattoo on a linguist I know. They're pretty popular, and very cute! It's a nice tattoo for meeting people who get what it is, if you expose it, and a neat little conversation piece.

Edited March 24, 2014 by PhDerp

[DeafAudi]

I love this one: !

 

For those who may not get it, deaf or hard of hearing people can "turn off" their hearing at will if they wear a CI or hearing aid (or permanently if they don't)   . 

Edited March 24, 2014 by DeafAudi

[DeafAudi]

Double post.

Edited March 24, 2014 by DeafAudi

[deci:belle]

I loveee sound wave tattoo's. You can get  a loved one to say a phase and get the tattoo the of the wave form. 

 

Even though over time as the skin gets old and the tattoo spreads it may not look the best, the meanings are great. I love how discrete it is, yet it starts conversation. Like this one is of her son saying "I love you Mama"

 

[DeafAudi]

AHHH, I love that, deci:belle! Thanks for sharing! 

[microarray]

Have you guys seen Carl Zimmer's book Science Ink?  http://www.amazon.com/Science-Ink-Tattoos-Obsessed/dp/1402783604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395631241&sr=8-1&keywords=science+ink

[roguesenna]

I couldn't help but say that I love the idea of getting a tattoo related to my field, but I hate that 90% of the time the default is the comedy and tragedy masks. They're so overdone. I've considered getting a phrase in the international phonetic alphabet. I've also considered getting a small tattoo for each of the significant roles I've played as a performer. But I'm broke.

[deci:belle]

I couldn't help but say that I love the idea of getting a tattoo related to my field, but I hate that 90% of the time the default is the comedy and tragedy masks. They're so overdone. I've considered getting a phrase in the international phonetic alphabet. I've also considered getting a small tattoo for each of the significant roles I've played as a performer. But I'm broke.

That was going to be a gift to my self when I graduated my undergrad! 

/traɪˈʌmfənt/ 

But, I'm deciding to hold off on it once I get my AuD, since it will feel more deserved haha

[DigDeep(inactive)]

I would totally do a science tattoo. I got my sister the serotonin necklace  for her birthday (she does Neuropsychology), but it would also make a cool tattoo. I also thought that getting a tattoo from one of the frozen ice-people would be cool (Otzi etc.). 

 

Have you guys seen Carl Zimmer's book Science Ink?  http://www.amazon.com/Science-Ink-Tattoos-Obsessed/dp/1402783604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395631241&sr=8-1&keywords=science+ink

 

Very cool. I'll have to upvote this later! Damn Zimmer and his cleverness!  *shakes fist* Zimmerrrrrrr!!!! 

 

 

As an anthropologist, I have always thought that getting a traditional tattoo from a tribe I was visiting (either initiation rite, medicinal purposes, or just spiritual) would be the ultimate tattoo, and I still secretly hope it happens one day. 

Edited March 24, 2014 by DigDeep

[spectastic]

I loveee sound wave tattoo's. You can get  a loved one to say a phase and get the tattoo the of the wave form. 

 

Even though over time as the skin gets old and the tattoo spreads it may not look the best, the meanings are great. I love how discrete it is, yet it starts conversation. Like this one is of her son saying "I love you Mama"

 

um... I dunno about that...

 

 

not exactly academic related but....

I've seen people do this. I think it's pretty hideous, considering the first impression is that it's a grease stain.. I've also seen a guy with pine trees tattooed on both of his calves, and that was even worse.

 

 

 

but when done right, it's something to admire and respect. (fuck cheaters)

[roguesenna]

That was going to be a gift to my self when I graduated my undergrad! 

/traɪˈʌmfənt/ 

But, I'm deciding to hold off on it once I get my AuD, since it will feel more deserved haha

 

Ha yeah, I am committing to getting a 4.0 cumulative GPA in my MA (it will be tough, I know!) and if I succeed, I am going to reward myself with a fairly large piece of ink on my back.

 

 

As an anthropologist, I have always thought that getting a traditional tattoo from a tribe I was visiting (either initiation rite, medicinal purposes, or just spiritual) would be the ultimate tattoo, and I still secretly hope it happens one day. 

 

 Not accusatory, but do you worry that this is a little bit of cultural appropriation? Just curious what you have to say. I'm sure you're educated on the topic, being in anthropology.

 

um... I dunno about that...

 

 

not exactly academic related but....

I've seen people do this. I think it's pretty hideous, considering the first impression is that it's a grease stain.. I've also seen a guy with pine trees tattooed on both of his calves, and that was even worse.

 

that comes off as kind of judgy... the tattoo is creative and resonates with their passion and it pays tribute to what they love. I guess you're entitled to your opinion, but why worry about other people's ink?

 

and to be fair, yes I did carp on the traditional drama person comedy/tragedy masks, but the difference is that I was pointing out that it's not a very original idea and I would never get it for myself. (I find it annoying because I think ink should be very personal and that's the sort of thing that you just pick off of a wall of pictures).

[spectastic]

Ha yeah, I am committing to getting a 4.0 cumulative GPA in my MA (it will be tough, I know!) and if I succeed, I am going to reward myself with a fairly large piece of ink on my back.

 

 

 Not accusatory, but do you worry that this is a little bit of cultural appropriation? Just curious what you have to say. I'm sure you're educated on the topic, being in anthropology.

 

 

that comes off as kind of judgy... the tattoo is creative and resonates with their passion and it pays tribute to what they love. I guess you're entitled to your opinion, but why worry about other people's ink?

 

and to be fair, yes I did carp on the traditional drama person comedy/tragedy masks, but the difference is that I was pointing out that it's not a very original idea and I would never get it for myself. (I find it annoying because I think ink should be very personal and that's the sort of thing that you just pick off of a wall of pictures).

I didn't mean to be judgy, but I see where you're coming from. Yes, a tattoo can be an expression of your passion, but I would want my tattoo to have some visual appeal, considering it'll be permanent.

 

 

(and I can be cranky on Mondays)

Edited March 25, 2014 by spectastic

[roguesenna]

I didn't mean to be judgy, but I see where you're coming from. Yes, a tattoo can be an expression of your passion, but I would want my tattoo to have some visual appeal, considering it'll be permanent.

 

 

(and I can be cranky on Mondays)

 

true. although some people find the strangest things appealing. I have some Facebook friends that love horror and are constantly posting pics of demented baby dolls and themselves in wrestling masks with speculums in their mouths. It kind of disgusts me, but I don't want to block them and I'm not going to comment cause... you know, if that's their thing... *shrug*

 

 

 

 

although I couldn't resist asking "why the speculum?"

Edited March 25, 2014 by roguesenna

[pears]

 

 Not accusatory, but do you worry that this is a little bit of cultural appropriation? Just curious what you have to say. I'm sure you're educated on the topic, being in anthropology.

 

 

I had the same thought, actually. Depends on the tribe, & the person you're talking to. My consulting experiences have always been fine, but they've always been off-rez & with a non-Native crew, save for a few monitors; I've heard plenty of terrible stories from peers, too, though. The choice of what you'd get would matter; facial tattooing, for instance, is often a serious honor & sign of resilience or of a particular social status (horizontal or vertical) that loses its meaning when taken out of context. I guess something like dots/stippled tattoos to show strength on the body might be fine, but... eh, I dunno. Mixed feelings, I guess. I would love to have something related to the Ghost Dance & its offshoots (especially the Earth Lodge & Dreamer religions) tattooed on me, but even the patterns on Ghost Shirts are so important & so spiritually powerful that I don't think I could bring myself to do it. It's my passion, but it's not my history, as much as I'm interested in preserving it.

 

I didn't mean to be judgy, but I see where you're coming from. Yes, a tattoo can be an expression of your passion, but I would want my tattoo to have some visual appeal, considering it'll be permanent.

 

 

(and I can be cranky on Mondays)

 

Visual appeal is a subjective thing (mostly), & tattoos are just a means of embodying what you personally find important & visually appealing. & sometimes, it's just about aesthetics! My S.O. has a forearm full of fire-scarred trees, species that are local to where he grew up; everyone always asks if it's because he's in fire, but he just likes the way it looks – no meaning beyond that. Point is, I think if a tattoo has appeal or meaning for someone, as long as they're 100% happy with how it looks, they're probably aware that not everyone who sees it will find it as appealing as they do.. but someone else's opinion is rarely the reason behind getting a tattoo.

[spectastic]

I had the same thought, actually. Depends on the tribe, & the person you're talking to. My consulting experiences have always been fine, but they've always been off-rez & with a non-Native crew, save for a few monitors; I've heard plenty of terrible stories from peers, too, though. The choice of what you'd get would matter; facial tattooing, for instance, is often a serious honor & sign of resilience or of a particular social status (horizontal or vertical) that loses its meaning when taken out of context. I guess something like dots/stippled tattoos to show strength on the body might be fine, but... eh, I dunno. Mixed feelings, I guess. I would love to have something related to the Ghost Dance & its offshoots (especially the Earth Lodge & Dreamer religions) tattooed on me, but even the patterns on Ghost Shirts are so important & so spiritually powerful that I don't think I could bring myself to do it. It's my passion, but it's not my history, as much as I'm interested in preserving it.

 

 

Visual appeal is a subjective thing (mostly), & tattoos are just a means of embodying what you personally find important & visually appealing. & sometimes, it's just about aesthetics! My S.O. has a forearm full of fire-scarred trees, species that are local to where he grew up; everyone always asks if it's because he's in fire, but he just likes the way it looks – no meaning beyond that. Point is, I think if a tattoo has appeal or meaning for someone, as long as they're 100% happy with how it looks, they're probably aware that not everyone who sees it will find it as appealing as they do.. but someone else's opinion is rarely the reason behind getting a tattoo.

I would care a little about what others think if I were to get a tattoo, not a lot, just a little. ymmv

[DigDeep(inactive)]

 Not accusatory, but do you worry that this is a little bit of cultural appropriation? Just curious what you have to say. I'm sure you're educated on the topic, being in anthropology.

 

 

Sure, I think when taken at face value. However, I meant it only as if I happen to find my self in a situation where I was working with say, the Hadza, or Ache, or something like that (never know where research will take you in 20/30/40 years etc.) and it just so happened that a tattoo was in order due to a special situation (say, initiation). If I got to the point to where I was formally initiated or something of that matter, that tattoo would have deep meaning (years of research, trust, respect, friendship).  I did not mean to imply I would go out seeking it on vacation, or that I would even begin to think about going down the road and getting a "super cool Native tattoo, bro!". 

 

 

Other than that situation, the only tattoo I have ever truly considered, is a question mark with an infinity symbol, instead of a period: "Question Everything".

Edited March 25, 2014 by DigDeep

[pears]

I would care a little about what others think if I were to get a tattoo, not a lot, just a little. ymmv

 

True, very true. Things above the collarbones & on the hands are a big to-do. Fortunately, archaeology is a really body mod-friendly field! &, of course, I'm not going to get something distastefully offensive stamped on my forehead.

 

 

Sure, I think when taken at face value. However, I meant it only as if I happen to find my self in a situation where I was working with say, the Hadza, or Ache, or something like that (never know where research will take you in 20/30/40 years etc.) and it just so happened that a tattoo was in order due to a special situation (say, initiation). If I got to the point to where I was formally initiated or something of that matter, that tattoo would have deep meaning (years of research, trust, respect, friendship).  I did not mean to imply I would go out seeking it on vacation, or that I would even begin to think about going down the road and getting a "super cool Native tattoo, bro!". 

 

 

Other than that situation, the only tattoo I have ever truly considered, is a question mark with an infinity symbol, instead of a period: "Question Everything".

 

Ahh, I gotcha. Man, if you can stand the pain of traditional scarification & tattooing, power to ya. I guess the pain holds the meaning or the healing, but I would probably fail my initiation rights.

 

You other tattoo idea sounds awesome! I dig it. Also, that "super cool Native tattoo, bro!" bit reminded me of how it's "cool" to get tattoos of dream catchers, Zuni fetishes, dancing kachina, skulls with warbonnets… all without having the slightest idea what the spiritual importance of any/all of them is. :| See also: the Kokopelli craze of the 90s & early 2000s. Makes me face palm so hard.

[m-ttl]

Sure, I think when taken at face value. However, I meant it only as if I happen to find my self in a situation where I was working with say, the Hadza, or Ache, or something like that (never know where research will take you in 20/30/40 years etc.) and it just so happened that a tattoo was in order due to a special situation (say, initiation). If I got to the point to where I was formally initiated or something of that matter, that tattoo would have deep meaning (years of research, trust, respect, friendship).  I did not mean to imply I would go out seeking it on vacation, or that I would even begin to think about going down the road and getting a "super cool Native tattoo, bro!". 

 

 

Other than that situation, the only tattoo I have ever truly considered, is a question mark with an infinity symbol, instead of a period: "Question Everything".

 

Personally I find the expectation that you would earn that kind of tattoo to be a sign of the appropriative nature of the exchange in itself. It really rubs me the wrong way -- it just seems in poor taste to believe you could assimilate or would be deemed worthy of that honor by what is now to you, an unknown group of peoples you're going out to study. 

 

It's not just the "omg super cool native tattoo bro" tattoos that are appropriative and this is frankly expectant of what would be a gift and an honor. You can get a tattoo of deep meaning and relevant to your research that isn't something you'd have to push to get. It just doesn't feel like your place to expect or ask for that - especially if they're related to sacred/initiation rites. 

 

related: as someone of native/mexican descent if I see one more white girl with a sugar skull tattoo, I might lose it. 

 

also related: art historians and artists who cringe at bad/poor quality/cliched (but not classic) tattoos. Guys please, it's a form of art on your body! Make SURE it's going to be done by an artist giving you an original piece of work, and avoid purely text if you can. You're a 3D canvas, not a book! 

Edited March 25, 2014 by m-ttl

[DigDeep(inactive)]

Personally I find the expectation that you would earn that kind of tattoo to be a sign of the appropriative nature of the exchange in itself. It really rubs me the wrong way -- it just seems in poor taste to believe you could assimilate or would be deemed worthy of that honor by what is now to you, an unknown group of peoples you're going out to study. 

 

 

Sorry it rubs you the wrong way, you'll get over it. I don't expect to "earn" any thing. It seems poor taste to say that, if I were ever in a situation to get a tattoo (which it would take an extreme one), that I wouldn't say "no" to a situation such as an initiation right? I never said I expected it to happen, or that I seek that experience, just that if I were in that situation I would accept one and be proud of it. 

 

 

It's not just the "omg super cool native tattoo bro" tattoos that are appropriative and this is frankly expectant of what would be a gift and an honor. You can get a tattoo of deep meaning and relevant to your research that isn't something you'd have to push to get. It just doesn't feel like your place to expect or ask for that - especially if they're related to sacred/initiation rites. 

 

I didn't say that "omg super cool native tatto bro" tattos are the only examples what would be deemed appropriative.

 

" It just doesn't feel like your place to expect or ask for that - especially if they're related to sacred/initiation rites."

 

Did you even read what I said?  I don't expect anything, or ask for anything. Furthermore, I don't expect to "push to get" anything. 

 

Why mention you're mexican? Does this give you higher ground on this subject if I were white? Please step out from behind your ego for a second and actually read what I said. The topic at hand is field related tattoos. My field is Anthropology, therefore I thought of a hyperbolic situation in which I would think about getting a tattoo. I do not have tattoos, nor would I get one. It would take an extreme situation for me to get one, and thus prompted my answer. Note the words "as if I happen", "it just so happend", which mean we are speaking hypothetically.

 

In the end, if my comment offends you - too bad. Go have a sandwich and blog about it. 

[DerpTastic]

...and avoid purely text if you can. You're a 3D canvas, not a book! 

 

This statement kind of confuses me. 

 

Tattoos are for people to express themselves, or really do whatever the heck they please. To say, "you can express yourself with pictures, but not words," just seems odd. Why can't you put words on a canvas?

 

Also, on topic, some of my favorite tattoos are biology ones where it looks like the muscle or bone in whatever body part the tattoo is. The ones that look really realistic are pretty sweet looking. (Although it's a little too creepy for me to get, I don't really like the idea of blood and muscles and stuff, to look at a reminder on my body every day would give me the heebie jeebies.)

 

Also, I really found that book by Carl Zimmer very interesting! I would love to look through the entire book.

[m-ttl]

Sorry it rubs you the wrong way, you'll get over it. I don't expect to "earn" any thing. It seems poor taste to say that, if I were ever in a situation to get a tattoo (which it would take an extreme one), that I wouldn't say "no" to a situation such as an initiation right? I never said I expected it to happen, or that I seek that experience, just that if I were in that situation I would accept one and be proud of it. 

 

 

 

I didn't say that "omg super cool native tatto bro" tattos are the only examples what would be deemed appropriative.

 

" It just doesn't feel like your place to expect or ask for that - especially if they're related to sacred/initiation rites."

 

Did you even read what I said?  I don't expect anything, or ask for anything. Furthermore, I don't expect to "push to get" anything. 

 

Why mention you're mexican? Does this give you higher ground on this subject if I were white? Please step out from behind your ego for a second and actually read what I said. The topic at hand is field related tattoos. My field is Anthropology, therefore I thought of a hyperbolic situation in which I would think about getting a tattoo. I do not have tattoos, nor would I get one. It would take an extreme situation for me to get one, and thus prompted my answer. Note the words "as if I happen", "it just so happend", which mean we are speaking hypothetically.

 

In the end, if my comment offends you - too bad. Go have a sandwich and blog about it. 

 

I mention I'm native-mexican because it's tiring to see countless folks decide they're experts on my culture and then go and get a tattoo about it, or worse, don't know anything about my culture, and get those tattoos anyways. 

 

I don't care if it's your field...there are plenty of other things which represent anthropology besides native tattoos or symbols/art! The fact that you'd be defensive and flippant if someone has a problem - and even if one group says its okay, not every native group will agree or feel the same way - just shows me you don't understand the attitude you need for that kind of honor. 

 

 

This statement kind of confuses me. 

 

Tattoos are for people to express themselves, or really do whatever the heck they please. To say, "you can express yourself with pictures, but not words," just seems odd. Why can't you put words on a canvas?

 

Also, on topic, some of my favorite tattoos are biology ones where it looks like the muscle or bone in whatever body part the tattoo is. The ones that look really realistic are pretty sweet looking. (Although it's a little too creepy for me to get, I don't really like the idea of blood and muscles and stuff, to look at a reminder on my body every day would give me the heebie jeebies.)

 

Also, I really found that book by Carl Zimmer very interesting! I would love to look through the entire book.

 

You should have read the link I had! It's by tattoo artists who are experts on tattooing. You can put words on a canvas. But for artists (and art historians ) we're very aware that canvas should be in consideration. The human body is not a book, nor is it static. Good lettering is popular in tattoos and looks good. But lines of text (e.g. a poem) will eat up space and look terrible: 

 

 

You, dear tattoo client, are not flat white paper. You're a series of interlocking muscle bands, & you're covered with skin that is anything but white. You are cylindrical, almost every part of you body is long & rounded. But its not rounded evenly, like a pole, each surface is tapered, being much wider at some points & narrower at others. You're also topographical, with some points rising & dipping dramatically. On top of all that, you're also flexible, so unless you've been stuffed by an expert taxidermist, the minute you move, you will morph into even more elastic contorted shapes. When you try to apply text to this living organic medium, the lines waver, the letter size changes, the spacing inside the letter closes up, the spacing between the letters & between the words run together. It looks like crap. And Guttenberg spins in his grave. 

 

[...] Text does the opposite of this. It needs negative space in order to be legible, & since it's read in lines left to right, it needs to be straight, slicing up all that flowing anatomy into ribbons, graphically speaking. It becomes a visual road block, destroying your natural curves. This is why you don't see straight lines or geometric shapes in tattoo flash, every flat surface gets twisted, corkscrewed, & warped. That's not because of all the acid we did in college, its to conform our art with the flow of your physique. If type is snaked along the lines with the muscles, it trashes the leading, & it quickly becomes illegible, & defeats the whole point of getting text. 

 

The article goes on to discuss other reasons why tattoo artists despise text tattoo which sort of goes against the medium. I've also never seen a literature tattoo which is plain text that looks better than any tattoo with interprets a text into an image/text combination.

 

Personally I think it would be cheating to say that I think any tattoo would relate to my field  but nonetheless, I love American classic tattoos. And though it's not who I study, Mucha prints have wonderful translation into tattoos because Art Nouveau fits into a lot of "good" tattoo qualities, flatter dimensions, rich colors, black outlines, and curving lines which look great translated onto skin. 

[spectastic]

True, very true. Things above the collarbones & on the hands are a big to-do. Fortunately, archaeology is a really body mod-friendly field! &, of course, I'm not going to get something distastefully offensive stamped on my forehead.

 

you won't but she will

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and we all get tattoos for different reasons, and not all of them are good ones. I think that settles the differences. no need to argue

Edited March 26, 2014 by spectastic

[AwesomeBird]

I had the same thought, actually. Depends on the tribe, & the person you're talking to. My consulting experiences have always been fine, but they've always been off-rez & with a non-Native crew, save for a few monitors; I've heard plenty of terrible stories from peers, too, though. The choice of what you'd get would matter; facial tattooing, for instance, is often a serious honor & sign of resilience or of a particular social status (horizontal or vertical) that loses its meaning when taken out of context. I guess something like dots/stippled tattoos to show strength on the body might be fine, but... eh, I dunno. Mixed feelings, I guess. I would love to have something related to the Ghost Dance & its offshoots (especially the Earth Lodge & Dreamer religions) tattooed on me, but even the patterns on Ghost Shirts are so important & so spiritually powerful that I don't think I could bring myself to do it. It's my passion, but it's not my history, as much as I'm interested in preserving it.

 

 

Visual appeal is a subjective thing (mostly), & tattoos are just a means of embodying what you personally find important & visually appealing. & sometimes, it's just about aesthetics! My S.O. has a forearm full of fire-scarred trees, species that are local to where he grew up; everyone always asks if it's because he's in fire, but he just likes the way it looks – no meaning beyond that. Point is, I think if a tattoo has appeal or meaning for someone, as long as they're 100% happy with how it looks, they're probably aware that not everyone who sees it will find it as appealing as they do.. but someone else's opinion is rarely the reason behind getting a tattoo.

 

Did you grow up on the rez? What kind of tattoo would you get honoring the Ghost Dance? With all the non-Natives sporting "native" ink these days, I'm curious to know what kind of a design someone who is actually native and honoring their culture would get. With such a rich culture and colorful (to say the least) history, there is soooooo much potential for some incredible ink, but of course, whenever you try and search for "native tattoos", well.... you know what kind of results turn up. Are there cultural taboos against culturally significant tattoos? Like, if someone were to get something referencing wounded knee... would that be seen as disrespectful?

[pears]

Did you grow up on the rez? What kind of tattoo would you get honoring the Ghost Dance? With all the non-Natives sporting "native" ink these days, I'm curious to know what kind of a design someone who is actually native and honoring their culture would get. With such a rich culture and colorful (to say the least) history, there is soooooo much potential for some incredible ink, but of course, whenever you try and search for "native tattoos", well.... you know what kind of results turn up. Are there cultural taboos against culturally significant tattoos? Like, if someone were to get something referencing wounded knee... would that be seen as disrespectful?

 

BAH HUMBUG. I had a nice, long, thoughtful response all typed out.. & then my browser crashed. :|

 

I'm not a rez kid, & I'm (to my knowledge, at least!) not at all Native. My work, my current program & school, my non-thesis research, & my personal interests (NAGPRA & repatriation, Indian Law, tribal status & sovereignty, preservation of cultural landscapes & resources, Native experiences + identities especially as they changed post-Euroamerican contact) have all been extensively intertwined with the good, the bad, & the rez-dog-level-of-ugly, though. Tribal councils & elders, academic peers, monitors, activists.. everyone has a different take. It really depends on the individual: their age, where they're from, their tribal affiliation, how they were brought up, all that. Obviously, nobody takes kindly to appropriation, but if you're seriously entrenched in the unpleasant side of rez life, taking an active stand against it is less of an immediate concern than, say, abject poverty or substance abuse.

 

Regarding the Ghost Dance imagery etc., the big problem is that the power is in the image itself, which is the case with Ghost Dance shirts, among other things. Australian Aboriginal "dot" paintings & ochre body paint also come to mind; the dots hide stories that only some people can know, & although it may seem arbitrary to an outsider, ochre body painting is deeply emotionally expressive, especially when it's on the face. For the most part, I'd say taking these images out of their context is ill-advised; without the context, the power & meaning is lost. Ditto anything related to Wounded Knee or other extremely painful & tragic events, but that's my personal take; I could just as easily see, say, a Lakota person, especially someone around my age, feeling the total opposite way. If you're confused or unsure about something, it's always better to ask. I can't tell you how many times asking "what should I do for this meeting?" has saved my buns.

 

Also, thinking of people who get "Native" tattoos while being totally oblivious to the meaning: even something as seemingly simple as ghosts is polarizing, to say the least. The Ghost Dance was not well received in areas of the SW where ghosts (really, the bad energy left behind by your final breath before death) & ghost sickness were not something you wanted to be involved with, & you definitely wouldn't want to make a point of bringing back your deceased kin. What I would see as a bone spoon or bird bone straw can be a sacred object for keeping the dead happy, or a component of a rite-of-passage toolkit that I'm not even supposed to be looking at, given my age & gender. If you don't know everything there is to know about what you're looking at, it's probably best to avoid getting it permanently inked, even if your friend who is "totally 1/64th Cherokee & her great-great-great-grandma was an Indian Princess!" (ick) says it's cool. There is no single "Native" experience or opinion or identity or culture, not even within the smallest rez; it's the same as any other group of people. Matika Wilbur's Project 562 does an amazing job of illustrating this - check it out, if you haven't already.

 

I hope that makes sense! I'm going a bit loopy from late-night readings.    &, again, I'm speaking as a non-Native person myself, & the majority of my Native friends & coworkers didn't grow up on the rez their whole lives, so I'm speaking about what I understand from a very limited, mostly secondhand viewpoint.

[AwesomeBird]

Hah, sorry. From reading your last post I thought you were Native. My bad. Yea, generally speaking a NA tattoo on a non-NA is a bad idea. Never well received. Also, though, I had a TOTALLY different understanding of what the Ghost Dance was and how it was received... Wovoka, right? He was a prophet. He predicted the second comming of Christ and gave the people the ghost dance to inspire hope. I mean, I know each tribe gave it their own meaning, really, but there was no negative energy associated with it; except for the white people.