From Hawaii To Samoa: Tattoos That Go Beyond Skin Deep

It goes without saying that these days, tattoos are everywhere. And while societal acceptance of ink has ebbed and flowed, many people who spent hours in tattoo parlors adding to their growing collections will tell you that in many cases, there are stories that come with each new addition; this is especially the case for Polynesians. Samoans specifically originally coined the term “tatau,” which later became “tattoo,” explains Martin “Phats” Tevega, a Samoan tattoo artist born and raised in Maui, Hawaii now working at Xodus Tattoo in South Jordan, Utah.

He explains that the most popular motifs across the board and in modern day tattooing, are Samoan and Maori. And unlike common western tattooing practices, creating designs for clients who want tribal tattoos is slightly different in nature. For Samoan designs, the patterns typically represent different animals or earth-related structures, which can be assigned different meaning, but ultimately, it's up to the one getting the tattoo to decide. “There's no actual meaning,” says Tevega. “There's there's a name, and where it came from, but what you utilize those designs for is up to you. So you tell your story however you want to tell it.”

Tevega has been tattooing for 15 years and believes being an artist is his calling. “We're doing tattoos that help people remember who they are and where they come from,” he says. “Being able to be that [for them] is priceless. I live for that and for me it's more than the money.”

Ku’u Kaho’ohanohano, also a tattoo artist at Kanaka Tattoo based in Kona, Hawai’i grew up expressing herself through art and naturally gravitated to drawing Polynesian motifs. Her desire to become an artist, though, traces back to the influences of her ancestors and the desire to contribute to keeping tradition alive. “After the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893, practices like tattooing were banned and forced underground,” she says. “So I think it was within the last few decades that our culture is actually being revived, and I felt called to be a part of this movement.”