“Cultural tattooing is a ritual. There are chants, prayers and offerings to gods/ancestors to whom these tattoos are dedicated. Blessings, and sometimes curses are invoked in bestowing these designs, as well as being marks of prestige, heritage, and history. Modern western tattooing is the result of taking indigenous practices and stripping them of their spiritual, and cultural qualities leaving only the ‘art’ upon the skin. The recipient is left to make their own meaning for the designs rather than receive sacred ritual marks that are recognized by generations upon generations of ancestors. Let us work to decolonize tattooing and restore its honor.”
– Lane Wilcken
Filmmaker Kayla Sotomil
