Historical Meanings and Cultural Roots
In the past, tribal tattoos on women had more than just decorative meaning. Archaeologists have found evidence that women in ancient cultures wore tattoos to show their identity, belonging to a community, and spiritual protection from evil spirits.
In 2017, archaeologists discovered the body of a woman buried about 500 years ago in what is now southwestern Siberia. She was known as the Princess of Ukok. Her body was covered with ornate tattoos depicting mythological creatures. The symbols she bore were those of her social status, family ties, symbols, and philosophies.
In Egypt, too, female mummies bore tattoos. One woman’s tattoos included lotus flowers and animals, including the Wadjet Eye, also known as the Eye of Horus. The eye symbolized power and protection. “It seems likely that these tattoos are not purely decorative,” said one of the researchers. “They appear to be ritualistic and sacred.”
Tattoos were important in other cultures as well. In Polynesian traditions, tattoos were believed to protect against harm and to indicate wealth and courage. For the Maori, the tattoo (moko) signified social status, rank, job achievements, and inner strength. It showed who you were spiritually and how you fit into your community.
Individual symbols within the tattoos carried precise meanings. Shark teeth meant protection; shells meant wealth. Other symbols include turtles, fish hooks, lizards, and so on. In Polynesian tradition, tattoos were a way of marking identity, spirituality, and community.
Living Traditions and Modern Meaning
Today, for some Indigenous women, traditional tattoos remain part of their heritage and cultural practice. An Inuk woman told me that when she got a traditional tattoo, it was personal, and it meant something different to her than it did to others. Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation celebrates the legacy of residential schools in Canada and recognizes the children who died or were lost while attending them. On this day, we remember the history of forced assimilation and recognize the ongoing work toward reconciliation.
On June 24, 2023, a story broke out of the Philippines about the last living “Mambabatok” (a traditional tattoo artist), Lourdes Buscalan of the Kalinga people. Born in 1917, Buscalan was a stick-and-bamboo tattoo artist whose art continues the lineage of tattooing passed down through generations of women in the Buscalan region. She has been called the last of her kind, but her daughter says she will continue the work of her mother.
Modern women can embrace the meaning of tribal tattoos without being bound by the specific cultural meanings of the past. We can take the traditional images and combine them with our own modern images and artistic expression. As one tattooist put it: “The meaning of your tattoo is exactly what you make it.” Tattoos can mean membership in a group, rites of passage, guardianship of a totem animal, or simply freedom.