Inuit Tattoos

At Speakeasy Tattoo in Los Angeles California, I am learning all about tattooing and the many meanings behind many different tattoos. This week I wanted to take a closer look at Inuit tattoos and their significance and history. 

Kakiniit tattoos are the traditional tattoos of the Inuit of the North American Arctic. This skill of Kakiniit is practiced almost exclusively among women. Women were receiving Kakiniit and women were tattooing other women. “Tattooing among the Inuit is a female practice that is deeply rooted in Inuit religion, where the main pillars are animism and collectivism” (Maya Jacobsen). Inuit men could also receive Kakiniit however the tattoos were not as extensive as the tattoos on the Inuit women. 

The Inuit descend from the Thule Culture. “The Thule Culture developed around 1000 AD in coastal Alaska. It was a fast-moving culture spreading from the Siberian Chukotka Peninsula through Northern Alaska to the Canadian Arctic and Greenland. Biological, cultural, and linguistic evidence clearly shows that all modern Inuit descend from the Thule Culture” (Maya Jacobsen). The rich history of Inuit tribes was nearly lost due to colonization. As Inuit tribe members were religiously converted to Christianity, they stopped the practice of tattooing as it did not fit Christianity’s belief system. 

 The tattoos that were nearly lost due to colonization were symbols of tribes, prosperity, protection and several more. “Facial amuletic patterns showed tribal affiliation, arm and leg patterns ensured prosperity through successful hunting, and hand and finger patterns kept the Ocean Spirit pleased. Tattooed dots protected the clan against vengeful spirits, while representations of plants and totems of ravens cured illness, secured easy births, or gave courage to meet one's Helping Spirits. These practices were essential parts of life among all Inuit tribes, up until European missionaries implemented variations of Christianity in our territories” (Maya Jacobsen).

Today Inuit descendants are electing to receive the traditional Inuit markings as a way to reclaim what was lost, and reconnect with their history. Because this act is not widely accepted due to western views and beauty standards, these tattoos become political. They are a symbol against colonization. “Inuit tattooing has taken a political shape. More than any other aspect of our cultural heritage, tattooing is used today as a marker of activism and the demand for decolonisation. Cultural revival is by its very nature political and uncomfortable for the colonial viewer. A culture member doing research in their own culture is a colonised human taking back lost culture, which is an act of defiance” (Maya Jacobsen).

The reclamation continues and the education on lost heritage grows. It is important to keep these values alive and embrace the old ways of living as there is forever more to learn from them.