140 "Culture Vultures"
Description
This article is from the Tattoo FAQ, by Stan Schwarz with numerous contributions by others.
140 "Culture Vultures"
The popularity of primitive designs has led to people searching
anthropology books for cultural images for their tattoos. It is a very
bad idea to use sacred images of a culture to which you do not belong.
Using clan symbols, shields and other such images merely for visual
effect is nothing short of robbing the soul of a culture. On the other
hand, tattoos *inspired* by native iconography is both exciting and
respectful. Otherwise, make sure you can lay claim to the image by
checking your geneaology.
Also, remember that some cultures have an extensive tattoo history.
Beyond the images themselves, some tattoos, like the Maori moko, are
considered sacred and limited only to those who are allowed to wear
them. For the Maori, a foreigner who wears a moko without understanding
its significance, or receiving the proper blessings, is nothing short of
cultural robbery.
This topic was a very hot thread in RAB during the fall of 1995. There
were several differing opinions, but here are the general highlights:
o The use of icons and symbols is a real sore point for people of a
culture that considers the symbols sacred. Examples: Family crests,
patterns indicating geneaological lineage, and religious symbols.
o Many cultural images are not sacred or religious. These should be
available for use by those from other cultures.
o Many symbols of one culture are actually adaptations from other
cultures. From this standpoint, some people feel that the use of
cultural symbols should be okay.
Perhaps a compromise or middle ground is best in this situation. If you
are interested in a tattoo from another culture, it is suggested you:
o First check to see if the image is sacred, and whether "foreigners"
are allowed to wear the image. After all, if you desire to wear the
image because you respect it or the culture, the last thing you want
to do is offend the very people you look up to.
o If the wearing of the image requires some sort of blessing from a
person from that culture, do some research as to how this could be
done.
o Even if the image is not sacred, you should check with a person native
to that culture to make sure the image looks correct. Example:
Japanese kanji characters.
o Above all, be respectful. Do a little research. If you find an image
you like, try to learn a little bit about the culture and the image.
Make sure you are not offending anyone with the tattoo idea you have.
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