Native American tattoos / designs

[Shannon Shirley]

Im so easily confused, ''the NE USA doesnt have ancestry like that'' huh...????? no native americans? wow, so...... uuuhhh.??

My brother is really into the Native American culture, even though my family has no ancestry. He has an animal totem on his forearm of a badger, a wolf and a hawk. He did some research as to what each animal meant spiritually, and ended up choosing those 3. He wants to finish off his forearm with a depiction of a rabbit smoking a pipe while a lynx (or some other predator) stalks it. This is a legend that does not have a clear origin. It's said to come from Cree, but there doesn't seem to be a large consensus. The rabbit is an intelligent and wily animal in Native American culture, so it sitting around smoking a pipe while it is being stalked shows that it is confident creature and that it can escape any trouble that comes after it. *I had to Google all that because I couldn't remember exactly what my brother had told me.

As far as any input from Native Americans on his tattoo and idea, it's non-existent. The north east USA doesn't have ancestry like that.

[Avery Taylor]

A few months ago I read something on Yoni Zibler's blog about tattooing sacred Buddhist images on people, and how it can be offensive depending on the placement of the tattoos. I have no desire to shit on anyone's culture or heritage, but I also don't have the time or inclination to look into every aspect of every image that I get tattooed on me. I see things that I like, and I get them. I would never get something with the specific intention of offending someone, unless that someone was a Conservative Republican asshole. Some of the old flash (especially the WWII era) can be pretty racist, and that doesn't appeal to me. The same thing for some of the old biker flash, and swastikas. My personal opinion is that it is the intention of the wearer that matters more than anything else.

Here is the link to Yoni's blog. Tattooing & Art by Yoni Zilber

[RoryQ]

@Avery Taylor

I've wondered about some of that biker flash you're talking about, Avery - what the context was, and how much people really thought about the significance of some of the symbols being used. I mean, it's not like it was Jondix using something in the context of an eastern repeat pattern, or whatever - it's the skulls, deaths heads, swastikas etc. I know there are a lot of traditional tattoo enthusiasts on here, but isn't that legacy fairly hard to celebrate?

I read a little about how it should be seen through a lense of tattooed people back then as outsiders and maybe an attempt at 'shock value' - but, would we accept the same argument today?

[Avery Taylor]

@Avery Taylor

I've wondered about some of that biker flash you're talking about, Avery - what the context was, and how much people really thought about the significance of some of the symbols being used. I mean, it's not like it was Jondix using something in the context of an eastern repeat pattern, or whatever - it's the skulls, deaths heads, swastikas etc. I know there are a lot of traditional tattoo enthusiasts on here, but isn't that legacy fairly hard to celebrate?

I read a little about how it should be seen through a lense of tattooed people back then as outsiders and maybe an attempt at 'shock value' - but, would we accept the same argument today?

Watch "Stoney Knows How". He talks about the biker flash that he has drawn, his opinions on it, and its meaning. He is not a fan, but he is running a business, and you got to give them what they want. I love the biker flash that he drew, and I will probably get some in the future, but it is easy to drop the swastika out of most of the designs.

Personally I am too old to consider shock-value as a reason to do anything. That is for angry young men, and I am an angry old man.

[David Flores]

A Native American client put it in perspective the other day. She was looking around the shop and stopped at a sheet with some Pacific Northwest Native Designs. I asked her if she was interested in getting that type of tattoo, because I have a lot more reference in the back of that stuff. She replied "Anyone who takes a look at me can tell I'm Indian, I don't need a tattoo to say it, I want to get a Unicorn or a Pegasus, do you have any of those?" I told her we could draw one for her and she said "I've never been in a tattoo shop that didn't have a Pegasus or a unicorn on the wall." Fast forward, she leaves stoked with her bitching new tattoo.

First of all I want to know what shops she's been hanging out at, cause I want to see some awesome unicorn flash. Two I guess it makes sense, while lots of people get tattoos to represent their family cultures and background, others are looking to differentiate themselves and possibly even rebel against the common perceptions. I can see how some people could be sensitive towards stuff from their culture, but with all due respect if we all got tattoos based upon exactly who we are, we would all have the same tattoos (or else we would all have to join the navy or somehow turn Japanese). Look at most tattoo designs. So many animals tattoos are loosely based upon what they would look like in the wild, but very few would be a spot on accurate representation of the species nor is it really intended to be, plus I don't think they wear funny hats or smoke cigarettes either. It's tweaking old ideas that generate new ideas and keep old ideas fresh and new.

[Cork]

Im so easily confused, ''the NE USA doesnt have ancestry like that'' huh...????? no native americans? wow, so...... uuuhhh.??

Yeah, I think my statement is pretty true. There are some large tribes from up here (Erie, Susquehanna, Shawnee, etc...), but the lineage is fairly diluted. It is much more common to see stronger Native American blood in the midwest. I can't say I've ever met or seen anyone in my life so far who had dominant Native American blood. Most of the people around here descended from immigrants...or they are black and hispanic.

[Stitch626]

Seems to me (and this was kind of the original issue I wanted to pose) that it's actually the opposite and can be disrespectful because it's an outsider's two-second take on an entire culture that we just decided is "neat." Less a love of it, more a stereotyping of it. ..like Peter Pan. The lady head thing is kind of the worst offender, because it makes no sense -- but I still love those tattoos! I'm guessing it was never the point to be correct, just to draw a great design. And it certainly worked!

I'm glad there seems to be a generally positive response, especially what @Shmitty pointed out with the drawings at his station. And that PENDLETON PANTHER is pretty great! And Stitch, there are usually at least a few good books on the day-to-day of certain tribes from "back in the day" as well as their mythologies and adventure stories, which are awesome. Reading is an easy first step.

I see what your saying now, I guess it comes down to the context in which you get the tattoo and how the other person perceives it..

As for my own thing, I drew up some silly little one using the Iroquois flag I'll try to post it, as for all the books, Half my bookshelf is martial arts books, the rest is all books on Native Americans.. And I still can't find one for me to use as a base idea.

I'll post again later this weekend about my idea as a whole, if you guys don't mind see if I can get some feed back based off my other arm and what I want to do with my "native american arm"

[Scott R]

chris smith

[Scott R]

chris marchetto cheif head and beaux brady flash

[gougetheeyes]

@Cu_Bu, those are great! Ok less talking, more showing.

A big back and a painting from Bailey Robinson. I'm sure most of you know his blog already, but just in case: Copper Beehive – Tattooing by Bailey Hunter Robinson