The History of the Kanaka Maoli & Tattoos
Tattoos and body art have a deep history in the South Pacific. Tattoo art from Hawaii is rich and varied in its presentation.
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History
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The first Europeans arrived in Hawaii in 1778. Captain James Cook, largely credited with the first encounters, found natives who had a highly organized, self-sufficient social system that was based on communal land tenure. The society had a sophisticated language, culture and religion, and favored intricate tattoo designs that were permanently marked on their bodies.
History
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Like many practices in the islands of Polynesia and the South Pacific, tattoos were frowned upon by European missionaries and fell into a sharp decline. A modern resurgence in interest and pride has returned tattoos to a prominent place of significance in Hawaiian society.
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Facts
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The word tattoo was translated phonetically, primarily by the early English explorers, from the Polynesian word "kakau" or "tatau." While being practiced sporadically in other cultures throughout the world, such as Egypt more than 2,000 years ago, tattooing rose to popularity in the West through contact with Pacific Islanders, including the Kanaka Maoli, the indigenous name for native Hawaiians.
Significance
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Tattoos served the Kanaka Maoli not only for aesthetic and social distinction, but to guard their health and spiritual well-being. The process of applying the tattoo was guarded with a great deal of secrecy. Many designs memorialized chiefs, leaders of society or deceased family members.
Features
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Images of lizards (which are symbols of respect and fear) and the Hawaiian crescent fan (also known as the Peahi niu) were reserved for the highest ranking members of society and dominated early Hawaiian kakau. During Cook's first visits, the predominant designs were geometric. Designs were applied by a specially trained kahuna (or shaman) who laid dark pigment to the skin using a needle made from a bone tied to a stick and struck by a mallet. At the ceremony's end, all tools used to apply the tattoo were destroyed.
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