TNEWS TALANOA

Who has the right to wear traditional tatoos?
Pacific Viewpoints panel discusses the issue.

View Pacific Viewpoint EP6 - 2010 here: http://www.tnews.co.nz/TNEWS/PVPEP6-2010.html

Open for comments...

Here are some emails that were sent to us via: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv.

From: solonaia@gmail.com
Subject: Tattoos
Date: 6 May 2010 1:33:31 PM
To: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv

I was very happy with your show last night, the copyright speaker sits on the fence with the issue. The male speaker on there put a voice to what most of us think about these island tatoos, i didnt think they were that important obviously i was proved wrong. i thought anyone can get them, forgive my ignorance. What was weighing on my mind was, which of the pacific island nations first started practising this body art? A friend of mine told me it was the Fijians, others say it was the tongans that gifted the Samoan's with it, I would love to hear that side of this debate from those groups. I enjoyed every second of your programme great work Setita and Pacific Viewpoint.

S. Penaia
solonaia@gmail.com

Here are some emails that were sent to us via: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv.

From: esaudaman@gmail.com
Subject: Traditional Tattoo
Date: 5 May 2010 9:46:13 PM
To: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv

Copyright is a good idea, I wonder why no one in the island ever thought of that before. I really enjoy tonight's show. It has made me think deep about a lot of things, That girl in the pink got us all to think about it the way we havent before. A true island girl at heart. Good on
you Pacific Viewpoint.

esaudaman@gmail.com

Here are some emails that were sent to us via: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv.

From: alexstevenson73@gmail.com
Subject: Tonight's Show on the tatau
Date: 5 May 2010 9:50:43 PM
To: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv

Tonite's show was really refreshing. I didnt see the tatau from that perspective before.

I love listenting to the discussion and how members were interacting with another.

Keep up the good work.

Alex
alexstevenson73@gmail.com

Here are some emails that were sent to us via: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv.

From: sanafuao@gmail.com
Subject: Issue of who has the right to wear traditional tattoo
Date: 5 May 2010 10:14:41 PM
To: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv

I was very pleased that you Pacific Viewpoint has done a show on this particular issue. I had the right to wear the malu because I was recently been given a chiefly title. If it wasnt for tonite's show I would not be able to make this decision, the girl was right and bless her heart
for stating so on the show not many of us have the courage to do that on television. She has restored in my opinion and that of my family who have watched tonite the importance our ancestors has placed on malu. I totally get where she was coming from and I respect that
good on her. Good show Pacifik viewpoint.

Pacifik viewpoint fan

sanafuao@gmail.com

Here are some emails that were sent to us via: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv.

From: talnoho@gmail.com
Subject: Tattooing
Date: 5 May 2010 10:45:53 PM
To: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv

Excellent show tonight, everyone who watched it last night recommended I watch so I did just to find out what the buzz was about, and I gotta give it to you, that was quite a discussion there and the panel were great. Copyright of tattooing was an excellent idea, and I dont agree with the man on the panel when he said we can't find out who had original done the tattoo. The Maori's for instant can trace their whakapapa all the way back to Adam and Eve. Copyright attempt was a very good idea, that Samoan spokesperson spoke with pride and clarity from her culture's viewpoint was awesome. I love listening to her, very articulate. She is really staunched on getting the message across that we had to know the culture and the meaning behind these tatoos to fully appreciate its value before we take the step further to have it etched on our bodies.The maori tatooist did not cover what I hoped she would have talked about, do the maoris follow the same protocols similar to the samoans or not? I got the message loud and clear from the Samoan viewpoint but in the blurry with the Maoris and Tongans. In fact no one mentioned where it originated from. Overral the show was excellent.

talnoho@gmail.com

Here are some emails that were sent to us via: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv.

From: cypressmau@yahoo.co.nz
Subject: Last Night's Show about tatoo
Date: 6 May 2010 10:33:19 AM
To: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv

I couldn't get to a computer fast enough to email you my viewpoint about last night's show. That was a very interesting issue you had on, very educating, well done. I love listening to the different views, the woman with the purple sweater totally lost me, talking about copyright. I didnt really get what the maori rep was saying but I do wholeheartedly agree with the beautiful samoan female in pink. You didnt have her title there on the screen, its good to see our young generation staunched up on our culture and traditions..well done to her and to Pacific Viewpoint for airing the issue of tattoo lets hope for a second show.Well done.

Cypress.
cypressmau@yahoo.co.nz

Here are some emails that were sent to us via: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv.

From: taelasefepu@yahoo.co.nz
Subject: Tatau and Malu
Date: 6 May 2010 10:53:12 AM
To: myviewpoint@pasifika.tv

Last night's show was very entertaining. My view is that the tatau and malu should be copyrighted and if the island people in that field are smart enough they would be able to do so, I would. Laws change all the time so does the policies and legislations around copyright. I dont think that copyright lady did an in depth analysis of what she was saying she mentioned the two aspects but she failed to recognize the importance of the first one which said " Copyright would be use to protect the artists right against piracy or illicit use. I sided with the Samoan perpective based on what she was saying she was aiming of preventing identity theft through illicit usage of the art. The others think more about the money side of things which is not really important because thats how palagis think, the Samoan girl focus on the illicit usage by other cultures of their tattoos and wants to put a stop to it and I have no doubt that if this is really important to the Samoans, they are a collective nation I am sure they will work out one way or another to have the their tatoos copyrighted. Interesting topic, I would love to hear more about this topic in the future.

taelasefepu@yahoo.co.nz

What a show! it's great to see young generation's passion about their culture. I was a little bit disappointed with the Tongan representative because he failed to nail the issue. However, probably it was a wrong field for him to speak on. Next time get someone that knows the facts. I admire the Samoan girl.. you are right tho, people need to be aware of these things before they use them. Thank you pacific viewpoint for bringing out the Pacific issues. As I said before it was a great show.

Masi'i Sitaleki, 'ofa mai aa 'o tuku aa e katunii kae 'ai mai ha ki'i fo'i poini pe taha. 'Oku 'iai nai ha'o 'ilo kihe hisitolia 'oe ta tatau 'a Tonga? Good attempt!

Interesting topic: I have done a little bit of search in the net to deepen my knowledge on the topic and here is some information about the history of Polynesian tatoos:

A tattoo is a marking made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification, while tattoos on animals are most commonly used for identification or branding. The term "tattoo" or from Tahiti, "Tatau" is first referenced by Joseph Banks, the naturalist aboard Cook's ship the "Endeavour" in 1769 where he mentions it in his journal. To paraphrase. he states, "I shall now mention the way they mark themselves indelibly, each of them is so marked by their humor or disposition".

Tattooing has been practiced for centuries worldwide. The Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan, traditionally wore facial tattoos. Today one can find Berbers of Tamazgha (North Africa), Māori of New Zealand, Arabic people in East-Turkey and Atayal of Taiwan with facial tattoos. Tattooing was widespread among Polynesian peoples and among certain tribal groups in the Taiwan, Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, Africa, North America, South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand and Micronesia. Despite some taboos surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular in many parts of the world.

History of tattooing
Tattooing has been a Eurasian practice since Neolithic times. "Ötzi the Iceman", dated circa 3300 BC, bearing 57 tattoos: a cross on the inside of the left knee, six straight lines 15 centimeters long above the kidneys and numerous small parallel lines along the lumbar, legs and the ankles, exhibiting possible therapeutic tattoos (treatment of arthritis). Tarim Basin (West China, Xinjiang) revealed several tattooed mummies of a Western (Western Asian/European) physical type. Still relatively unknown (the only current publications in Western languages are those of J P. Mallory and V H. Mair, The Tarim Mummies, London, 2000), some of them could date from the end of the 2nd millennium BC.

One tattooed Mummy (c. 300 BC) was extracted from the permafrost of Altaï in the second half of the 15th century (the Man of Pazyryk, during the 1940s; one female mummy and one male in Ukok plateau, during the 1990s). Their tattooing involved animal designs carried out in a curvilinear style. The Man of Pazyryk, a Scythian chieftain, is tattooed with an extensive and detailed range of fish, monsters and a series of dots that lined up along the spinal column (lumbar region) and around the right ankle (illustrated at right).

Samoa
The traditional male tattoo in Samoa and American Samoa is called the pe'a. The traditional female tattoo is called the malu. The word tattoo is believed to have originated from the Samoan word tatau.

When the Samoan Islands were first seen by Europeans in 1722 three Dutch ships commanded by Jacob Roggeveen visited the eastern island known as Manua. A crew member of one of the ships described the natives in these words, “They are friendly in their speech and courteous in their behavior, with no apparent trace of wildness or savagery. They do not paint themselves, as do the natives of some other islands, but on the lower part of the body they wear artfully woven silk tights or knee breeches. They are altogether the most charming and polite natives we have seen in all of the South Seas..."

The ships lay at anchor off the islands for several days, but the crews did not venture ashore and didn’t even get close enough to the natives to realize that they were not wearing silk leggings, but their legs were completely covered in tattoos.
In Samoa, the tradition of applying tattoo, or tatau, by hand has been unbroken for over two thousand years. Tools and techniques have changed little. The skill is often passed from father to son, each tattoo artist, or tufuga, learning the craft over many years of serving as his father's apprentice. A young artist-in-training often spent hours, and sometimes days, tapping designs into sand or tree bark using a special tattooing comb, or au. Honoring their tradition, Samoan tattoo artists made this tool from sharpened boar's teeth fastened together with a portion of the turtle shell and to a wooden handle.

Traditional Samoan tattooing of the “pe'a”, body tattoo, is an ordeal that is not lightly undergone. It takes many weeks to complete. The process is very painful and used to be a necessary prerequisite to receiving a matai title; this however is no longer the case. Tattooing was also a very costly procedure.

It was not uncommon for half a dozen boys to be tattooed at the same time, requiring the services of four or more artists. It was not just the men who received tattoos, but the women too; their designs are of a much lighter nature rather than having the large areas of solid dye which are frequently seen in men’s tattoos. The tattooing of women was not nearly as ritualized like men’s were.
Samoan society has long been defined by rank and title, with chiefs (ali'i) and their assistants, known as talking chiefs (tulafale). The tattooing ceremonies for young chiefs, typically conducted at the time of puberty, were part of their ascendance to a leadership role. The permanent marks left by the tattoo artists would forever celebrate their endurance and dedication to cultural traditions. The pain was extreme and the risk of death by infection was a concern; to back down from tattooing was to risk being labeled a “pala'ai” or coward. Those who could not endure the pain and abandoned their tattooing were left incomplete, would be forced to wear their mark of shame throughout their life. This would forever bring shame upon their family so it was avoided at all cost.

The Samoan tattooing process used a number of tools which remained almost unchanged since their first use. “Autapulu” is a wide tattooing comb used to fill in the large dark areas of the tattoo. “Ausogi'aso tele” is a comb used for making thick lines. “Ausogi'aso laititi” is a comb used for making thin lines. “Aumogo” small comb is used for making small marks. “Sausau” is the mallet is used for striking the combs. It is almost two feet in length and made from the central rib of a coconut palm leaf. “Tuluma” is the pot used for holding the tattooing combs. Ipulama is the cup used for holding the dye. The dye is made from the soot collected from burnt lama nuts. “Tu'I” used to grind up the dye. These tools were primarily made out of animal bones to ensure sharpness.

The tattooing process itself would be 5 sessions, in theory. These 5 sessions would be spread out over 10 days in order for the inflammation to subside. The steps are as follows.

I. O le Taga Tapulu (back and small of the back) In the first session the height to which the tattoo will rise is decided (Ano le Tua), this is always such that the top of the design will show above the lavalava. Then the va'a, pula tama and pula tele are outlined and the design filled in.

II. O le Taga Fai'aso (the posterior) The aso fa'aifo are completed around to the abdomen and the 'asolaititi are finished. Next to be added are the saemutu, which vary in number depending upon social status. A matai will have four an orator three and anyone else would have two. Where it meets the 'ivimutu at the anus it is called tafaufile, where it covers the perineum it is called tasele, where it covers the scrotum it is called tafumiti and the area over the xxxxxxxx is called tafito. Needless to say this is very painful.

III. Taga Tapau The lausae, an area of solid tattooing, is added to the thighs beneath the aso e lua.

IV. Taga o Fusi ma Ulumanu The fourth session is the tattooing of the ulumanu, from the center of the thigh up to the inner groin.

V. 'Umaga (the end) The final sessions involves the tattooing of the abdomen, the area that covers the navel being called the pute, and is apparently the most painful part of the whole process.
Christian missionaries from the west attempted to purge tattooing among the Samoans, thinking it barbaric and inhumane. Many young Samoans resisted mission schools since they forbade them to wear tattoos. But over time attitudes relaxed toward this cultural tradition and tattooing began to reemerge in Samoan culture.

Christian Positions
Leviticus 19:28 is often cited by Christians as a verse prohibiting tattoos. According to the King James Version of the Bible, the verse states, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am AHAB." While it may appear that the passage disallows any markings of the flesh, even applying to the modern-day use of tattoos, it is likely the passage refers specifically to the form of mourning discussed above (see Middle East section). Christians who believe that the religious doctrines of the Old Testament are superseded by the New Testament may still find explicit or implicit directives against tattooing in Christian scripture, in ecclesiastical law, or in church-originated social policy. Others who disapprove or approve of tattoos as a social phenomenon may cite other verses to make their point.

For example, Revelation 14:1, 17:5, and 19:16 are cited as passages in which names are written on foreheads and the thigh of Christ, respectively. In this case, however, it is possibly metaphorical as the language is prophetic.[4]

There is no prohibition against tattoo within the Catholic Church, provided that the tattoo is not an image directly opposed to Catholic teaching or religious sentiment, and that an inordinate amount of money is not spent on the process. At the Catholic council of Calcuth in Northumberland in A.D. 786, a Christian bearing a tattoo "for the sake of God" (i.e., a religious tattoo in the form of a cross, a monogramme of Christ, or a saint's image) was commended as praiseworthy.

The Tongan Tattoo by Tricia Allen copyright 1998
The tradition of tattooing in Tonga was abandoned soon after European contact and the arrival of missionaries. At one time, nearly all Tongan males would have worn tattoos very similar to the pea, or traditional tattoo worn by Samoan men. Women were tattoooed as well in ancient Tonga, however the designs were limited to the arms and the inside of the hands and fingers. Tattooing was officially outlawed in 1838. Today, few Tongans even realize that their ancestors bore tattoos-- not only has the art been lost over the past two centuries, but even the knowledge of it is gone as well. Tongas story is interesting, and quite different from the other Island groups in Polynesia, as Tonga has always remained independent. It seems Tongans were amazingly smart. Very soon after European contact Tongans styled their own monarchy after that of their visitors. They retained their own land and rule, and readily adopted Christianity. Although they retained many aspects of their traditional culture, other aspects have been lost entirely; lost even in the memories of the last elders. Knowledge of the old gods, the ancient religion, and the tattoo are gone forever. Fortunately one of the early French explorers, Dumont dUrville included a detailed illustration of a Tongan mans tattoo in his journal. If it were not for this drawing we would know little about the appearance of the tattoo in Tonga. There are brief descriptions of tattooing found in other explorers journals, and a short article published in 1900 by H. Ling Roth, but little else was recorded or written on the Tongan tattoo.
The mans tattoo in Tonga was done in the same manner as the Samoan tattoo. The tool itself was a sharpened comb, made of either bone or shell. This was hafted onto a wooden handle. A second wooden tool served as a mallet, tapping the primary tool repeatedly, driving the comb into the skin. The pigment was soot collected from burning candlenut, a nut with a flameable oil. The soot was then mixed with either water or a fat until it reached the desired consistancy. The process of tatttooing in ancient Tonga was a long and painful one, particularly considering the amount of heavy black coverage in the tattoo. It was definately a mark of manhood.

Interview with Aisea Toetuu

For the past ten years, my life has revolved around Polynesian tattooing. During this time I have only encountered two Tongan tattooists. In fact, most Tongans today are totally unaware of the fact that Tongans at one time were as heavily tattooed as most other Polynesians. One young tattooist, Aisea Toetuu is working hard to change that. He is the first one in nearly 200 years to wear the traditional Tongan tattoo. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Aisea is that he did the tattoo himself using traditional tools. He tapped the design into his own skin and taught his young wife to tattoo so that she could complete his backside.

TA: Aisea, what is your background? Where are you from?

A: I was born in Hawaii in 1974. I am of Tongan and Hawaiian ancestry. My father is pure Tongan and is from the Islands and my mother is local, born here in Hawaii, so I am half Tongan. I grew up here on Oahu, Hawaii.

TA: And when & how did your interest in Tongan culture & tattooing come about?

A: I've always been interested in Polynesian history. I grew up in Tongan culture and my first language was Tongan.

TA: What made you decide to wear the traditional tattoo?

A: When I was a young teenager I wanted American & gang style tattoos, like a lot of the young Tongans & Samoans were wearing. Then one day I was looking through a book about Polynesia and saw the drawing of the Tongan man's tattoo (the drawing by d'Urville), then I knew I wanted to wear it. I got more interested in the culture in general and got more involved with traditional Tongan dance, and was inspired to do more research. I started questioning my relatives, most of them knew nothing about it, but then my grandmother told me that my grandfather was one of the last men to wear the tattoo. I few of the older people I talked to remembered seeing it as children. My grandfather used to work in his garden wearing a malo (traditional loincloth). But really, ever since the time I saw that drawing, I wanted that tattoo. It was like a part of our culture that was dead and I had a chance of reviving it.

TA: And when did you start your tattoo?

A: When I was 15 I made tools based on the Samoan traditional tattoo tools I had seen. I used sewing needles attached with epoxy onto a piece of copper. All I could think of to use to attach it to the dowel or handle was a smalll automotive hose clamp, so I used that.

TA: Its difficult enough to tattoo yourself with a machine! Wasnt it extremely painful? And how did you stretch the skin? I have one Hawaiian friend that uses traditional tools & stretches his skin with duct tape, how about you?

A: I stretched my skin with one hand & tattooed with the other. My wife, Leiomi helped me stretch sometimes and she tattooed the places I couldn't reach. It wasn't too painfull, except on the inner thigh.

TA: How much did you get done with the traditional tools? And when did you start using a machine?

A: I only did the lower part with the traditional style tools. Then I bought my first machine when I was still in high school. I was 17. And did the rest by machine. Leiomi did my backside. My left leg is now about half finished. I still have a lot of black to fill in. Then I'll finish my right leg. My goal is to finish it by this May. This summer I'm going to my first tattoo convention, the one in Canada just North of Toronto, and I'd like to have it finished by then. I'm excited-- I've never been to Canada!

TA: How has your family reacted to your doing the tattoo?

A: First, my family is large, my dad came from a family with 15 children. Many are against it & think it's stupid, but that's largely the Christian influence. My parents are always supportive and my grandmother is proud that I'm bringing back part of our family's past. And a lot of Tongans are reallly interested in getting it now!

TA: Have you done any others?

A: No, not yet, I have to finish mine first.

TA: But you are tattooing others in your community, what type of tattoos do you mostly do?

A: Right now arm bands are the most popular. Although the band itself isn't traditional, I'm using traditional designs from Tapa (barkcloth) and other sources to create the bands. On women I do a lot of ankle bands and turtles and things. It's pretty popular.

TA: Well keep up the good work & good luck finishing your tattoo!

Well done Malia. Kai fai ha ofo ko ho mala'e ia 'o'ou. Malo Setita hono 'omai 'o Malia he ko e ta'ahine ma'ungata'a kae malo hono 'ai ke ha'u 'o vahevahe mai he polokalama mahu'inga ni. Fuu lahi 'ene lilolilo holo pe mo 'ene 'ilo. Nae tonu Setita ke fakaafe'i mai mo Dr Okusi Mahina kae tau e langi ho'o fo'i polokalama totoo atu ko 'eni. Na'e ha 'a Filipe Tohi? Kaikehe 'ofa atu ki he ta'ahine ko Malia tokotaha pe.

Malo mu'a 'ae laumalie 'a Winston,

Na'e fai pe 'ae feinga kia Dr. 'Okusi pea mo Filipe Tohi ka na'ana mo'ua 'o 'ikai ke na lava mai kihe polokalama ni. You're right tho, if we have the like of Dr. Mahina, Filipe Tohi, Tavake Tupou, Malia and the Samoan lady - that will be awesome awesome....

Great show Pacifik veiwpoint! congratulation on tonight show. I could not agree more with the samoan viewpoint. Kep it up

I cracked laughing when Sitaleki talked about his mother's view of tattoos. It brought many memories cos' I remember that my Mum and Dad used to tell us that when we're alot younger. They said, "You boys! never to mark your body with tattoo because it is a mark of bad people..". Since then, I identify ones with the tattoos on their body with bad, criminal and wild people. To this point of time, I still view tattoos bad in fact BIG BIG BAD!!!!! don't know why but it does........