| inappropriate tribal tattoos |
Question:
I have just finished reading tattoo savage no7 and noticed an article
about a parlor owner in Atlanta who has done most of his own tats.
One of these is a moko (maori facial tatoo). The problem is that it is a
female moko which also features a labret piercing through its centre.
This would be veiwed as deeply offensive by a maori person with any
knowledge of tattoo lore (I find it bad enough just from a pakeha point
of view).
I have nothing against people with tribal tattoos from 'long dead'
cultures such as old celt or aztec styles - most look excellent, but if
people are going to copy from living cultures they should at least have
the decency to find out a bit about what they are doing 1st.
Answer:
-A lot of this depends on whether the tattoo was a direct copy of a moko,
or an *interpretation* that was stylized a bit.
-Why would it be offensive? I'd guess it would make for a good laugh.
"Look at stupid pakeha guy who gets woman's tattoo!"
Many people have tattoos in the Japanese style, of Japenese
dragons and carp... but I've never heard anyone suggest that this
violates Japanese culture.
- I can understand how someone'd be offended... I myself am kind of
bothered when I see yin yang symbols butchered in form. Not to say I'm an
authority and thus it's wrong, I just find it cheesy and detracting from the
meaning..
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