Native American tattoos appeal to you, but do you still have doubts? We’ve gathered all the information about them and the best ideas in one article to clear up your doubts.
A tattoo with Native American motifs has strong meanings. Most of them are even amulets. They protect against the evil eye and bad influences and give inner strength. That is why these drawings are famous around the world. Both men and women choose to do them equally often. But before you dare to make such a drawing on your body, you should know everything about Indian tattoos and their meanings.
What is the history of these tattoos, what are the major symbols, and are all people allowed to get Native American tattoos so as not to offend Native Americans? Don’t skip a word to find out all the interesting stuff, or jump right to the tattoo ideas.
A brief history of Native American tattoos
Indians are the native inhabitants of America. Now their images are associated primarily with independence and fearlessness. But the history of Native American tattoos goes back to ancient times when in the times of primitive communal systems people used to make drawings to intimidate enemies or for self-identification.
In the modern art of body art, such tattoos are becoming a separate trend and are in demand among admirers of ancient culture. Most often tattoos in the Native American style can be found among the indigenous inhabitants of North America, who still treat their roots and ancestors with special awe and reverence.
Symbols and their meaning
Native Americans have always distinguished themselves by living in harmony with nature. A special place in their religion is occupied by sacred (totem) animals, with which certain personal qualities are associated. In this case, according to the tattoo, you can judge what opinion about the person is formed in the tribe. For example:
- The symbol for a wolf is persistence, loyalty, and strongly developed intuition;
- Coyote — anger, cunning;
- Bull — desperation, willingness to take risks;
- Bear — strength, courage;
- Eagle — power, might, omniscience.
Native American tribes & tattoos
Every Native American tribe is unique, as are the tattoos of its members. They differ not only visually, but also in the conditions under which they are done, traditions, etc. Today we are going to reveal some fascinating information about the tribal tattoos that we are most asked about.
Native American Tattoos – FAQS
1. Did the Choctaw have tattoos?
The Choctaw are Native American people who originally lived in the Southeast (now Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana). Tattoos are one of the popular topics in the Choctaw Historic Preservation Department. Unfortunately, not much information has survived about what kind of tattoos they wore, but there are still some.
For example, it is known that tattooing was a Choctaw privilege. They were given only to warriors who distinguished themselves on the battlefield and defended their families and community. So it was quite easy to distinguish an experienced warrior by the tattoos on his body.
In addition to warriors, women also got tattoos. They usually wore blue facial tattoos consisting of straight lines running from the corners of the mouth down to the chin. This is now a thing of the past, but some Choctaw symbols people still tend to inscribe as tattoos.
2. Did Blackfoot Indians have tattoos?
Tattoos are an important part of the cultural heritage of the Blackfeet Indians. In earlier times they were given to warriors as distinctive signs of the tribe to distinguish between insiders and outsiders on the battlefield.
The figures and lines on the faces of Blackfeet Indian tattoos on warriors may also have had a protective character. The Blackfeet Indians practiced a type of shamanistic religion, which is considered a living religion that included sacred artifacts that were propitiated during ceremonial rites.
Nowadays such tattoos are rarely seen, even among community members, because of general assimilation. But if someone wants to get a Blackfeet Indian tattoo, he should go to the elders in the tribe to get advice on proper tattoos.
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