The Lost Connections: Tattoo Revival in the Cook Islands

Authors: Utanga, John; Mangos, Therese

Source: Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, Volume 10, Number 3, September 2006 , pp. 315-331(17)

Publisher: Berg Publishers

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Abstract:

Polynesians developed many technologies and art forms to define their way of life, connect them to their beliefs, and assist in the outward manifestation and expression of identity and culture. One of these was the art of tattooing (tatau). This practice came to a halt for the people of the Cook Islands with the arrival of missionaries. Christianity had such an impact in the region that much of the cultural knowledge pertaining to traditional tatau practice and patterns was lost. In the late 80s, the tattooing practice re-emerged as a result of the impending 1992 South Pacific Festival of the Arts. The authors cite Michael Tavioni as the father of modern Cook Islands ta-tatau (the practice of tattooing), and other influential tattoo artists were Tetini Pekepo and Boye Nicholas. Now Cook Island patterns and motifs are more common and traditional designs are being rediscovered and redefined.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.2752/136270406778050941

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