Tattoos– traditional

These are pictures of some traditional tattoos. Not all men were tattooed on the arms. All women were tattooed on the belly and thighes.  Missionary teachings opposed tattooing and the last traditional tattoos were probably done in the 1940s. In the 1980s, there were still some living older women who had belly and thigh tattoos. There were no living men or women with arm tattoos. Some Sikaiana people, especially men, had a variety of tattoos that were done in different styles and not part of a shared ritual tradition. These pictures were taken in 1933 by the Templeton-Crocker expedition. The drawings were made by Henry Teloto using drawings from government reports.