Events

Tattooing is a custom dating back thousands of years in North America. Traditionally, women and men used them to visually express tribal affiliation and war honors, as well as connections to divine beings, maturity rites and social and religious affiliation. These expressions of identity continued with the person after death — ensuring their place in …

All cultures practice some type of body modification, be it body painting, piercing, tattooing, scarring or re-shaping. In many cultures, body modification is done to indicate social position, family affiliation, marital status, identify with a particular ethnic or gender group, perform a rite of passage, ward off or invoke the spirits, or to transfer information. …

An Indigenous tattoo revival is in full swing all over the world. J.P. Johnson will discuss the importance of ceremonial tattoo traditions amongst tribal peoples of the Southeast but, more specifically, Cherokee tattooing and the reclaiming of Cherokee identity through ceremony. J.P. Johnson has worked with the Cherokee nation for 13 years teaching language and …

Traditional Tattooer Holly Mititquq Nordlum discusses Inuit people, place, history, colonization, healing and wearing sacred markings in a modern context. Nordlum is one of a few women internationally bringing back Inuit markings to her people and working with the next generation. (Nordlum will speak via Zoom from Anchorage, Alaska.) Bring your lunch or purchase one …