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Re: Stupid tattoos...
Last year, my sisters and I journeyed to Samoa and the three of us got our 'malu' - the traditional Samoan women's thigh tattoo.
Most people were very supportive of our decision although we're not full Samoan, we don't live there and don't speak the language fluently - so we were judged by some as not being worthy of this great honor.
Here's an excerpt from the blog I wrote right after I got my tattoo:
In Polynesian cultures, your tattoo represents your ancestors, your family, your home and your mana! You have to go through the pain to get the mana and after spending four days in hospital with a very nasty infection after getting my malu, I got the MANA!
Last year, my sisters and I journeyed to Samoa and the three of us got our 'malu' - the traditional Samoan women's thigh tattoo.
Most people were very supportive of our decision although we're not full Samoan, we don't live there and don't speak the language fluently - so we were judged by some as not being worthy of this great honor.
Here's an excerpt from the blog I wrote right after I got my tattoo:
It was a deeply personal decision and may not be what you agree with or what you would do but me being me, I did what I wanted and I'm happy with my decision. Even with the subsequent infection and difficult recovery, I feel that it has all been a part of the process. It's a rite of passage that I feel I've earned and although certain people want to judge me as not being worthy because I don't speak Samoan fluently and I don't know the Samoan ways, I claim this tattoo as my birthright.
The actual tattoo session was a very spiritual experience for me and I feel even more closely linked to my ancestors who also wore the tatau. I have enormous respect for them all, especially my great, great grandmother Fa'asipa Ligaliga Seiuli - the matriarch of my Tuiletufuga family who lived a very colorful life. By the time I met her before her death in the late 1980's, she was blind and very old but still wore her malu proudly. I really felt her presence with me as I was getting tattooed.
What made it extra special for me was to be able to go through it with my 2 younger sisters. They are true warriors! I am proud to have been able to go through this experience with them and to carry on this noble tradition.
I have the blood of ancestors who came from many different countries in my veins. Anyone who knows me knows that I most relate to my Maori side - but this year has been a time for me to get back in touch with my Samoan side. From participating in Samoan Idol in May, to traveling to Samoa again after 22 years and of course, getting my malu. I hope to continue on this journey by learning more about my Samoan geneology and acquiring the knowledge of what is expected of me now that I have this tattoo.
We experienced some negativity from people in Samoa (mostly women) who couldn't understand why we (as perceived outsiders) would get a malu - but the amount of people who were positive far outweighed the "haters!" Strangers came up and took pictures of us, offered words of encouragement and showed genuine interest in the fact that we had come back to Samoa to do it right.
These marks now define me as a Samoan - no matter where I go in the world - I wear them with pride. They link me not only to my ancestors but also to future generations whom I hope will continue this honorable, courageous and beautiful tradition forever.
The actual tattoo session was a very spiritual experience for me and I feel even more closely linked to my ancestors who also wore the tatau. I have enormous respect for them all, especially my great, great grandmother Fa'asipa Ligaliga Seiuli - the matriarch of my Tuiletufuga family who lived a very colorful life. By the time I met her before her death in the late 1980's, she was blind and very old but still wore her malu proudly. I really felt her presence with me as I was getting tattooed.
What made it extra special for me was to be able to go through it with my 2 younger sisters. They are true warriors! I am proud to have been able to go through this experience with them and to carry on this noble tradition.
I have the blood of ancestors who came from many different countries in my veins. Anyone who knows me knows that I most relate to my Maori side - but this year has been a time for me to get back in touch with my Samoan side. From participating in Samoan Idol in May, to traveling to Samoa again after 22 years and of course, getting my malu. I hope to continue on this journey by learning more about my Samoan geneology and acquiring the knowledge of what is expected of me now that I have this tattoo.
We experienced some negativity from people in Samoa (mostly women) who couldn't understand why we (as perceived outsiders) would get a malu - but the amount of people who were positive far outweighed the "haters!" Strangers came up and took pictures of us, offered words of encouragement and showed genuine interest in the fact that we had come back to Samoa to do it right.
These marks now define me as a Samoan - no matter where I go in the world - I wear them with pride. They link me not only to my ancestors but also to future generations whom I hope will continue this honorable, courageous and beautiful tradition forever.
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