Tattoos and Indigenous Peoples

Tattooing: Tattoos and Indigenous Peoples
By Judith Levin
Ages 12+
Published by Rosen Publishing Group
Reviewed by Martha Beach

Tattoos are popular among many different cultures and have many different meanings. Tattoos and Indigenous Peoples looks at the nature of indigenous and tribal peoples and their uses of tattoos. Tattoo traditions of Japan, India, the Arctic, the Americas, Polynesia and Oceania are also examined.

Ancient cultures and tribes have used tattoos to mark milestones in life. Today, tattoo artists pride themselves on being their own tribe of sorts. Modern tattoo artists have the purpose of perpetuating this old and interesting art form. The Tattooing series studies anthropological significance of tattoos in culture, permanence of tattoo images, and the innovation of tattooing over the years.

The book is easy to understand, very clearly laid-out and includes several colour photographs. It also includes an overview of the anthropologists who studied tattoo meanings and symbols, which can have different meanings in different places of the world.

Tattooing closes with a discussion of how tattoos can now be seen as a revival or a fashion choice among modern people who can choose their style and identity more freely than could early indigenous peoples.

Learn more about this type of artistic expression and its historical roots with this book about tattoos from many cultures around the world.