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For centuries, tattoos have been a huge part of Native American culture. Native American tattoos were used in many different ways: for identification purposes, to give praise, and to give special powers. Great skill was required in the creation of Native American tattoos. They would use turtle and fish bones for the needles and natural dyes for the pigment. Experienced hands would do the work with careful, smooth, and slow motions-- creating these designs little by little. Over time, the body art would be expanded to cover the whole body. Native American tattoos were believed to give power to those who wore them on their faces and/or bodies. Certain tribes had different tattoos that they believed would provide special powers. Some thought that men who had tattoos of eagle eyes around their eyes would give them the eyesight that eagles have while they are flying through the sky. The Lakota Indians required that both men and women get tattoos to allow them to enter the afterlife, otherwise the ancient spirit woman would prohibit them from entering. Among many Native American tribes, tattoos would be used to identify certain things. In the Northwestern part of America, Native Americans used certain tattoos to identify a women’s village. Tribes in Alaska would use tattoos to mark the killing of an enemy. And the Yokut tribe in California would use tattoos to mark one with a magical power. Today, Native American tattoos are popular amongst all nationalities everywhere. You don’t have to have Native American blood to get a tribal tattoo, nor do you have to have a grandfather who was part of the Cherokees to get a tattoo of a rattlesnake. Animals, mythical figures, instruments, musicians, and feathers are among the most popular Native American tattoos being replicated today. |
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