Overview
Survival and Innovation of North American Indigenous Tattoo Practice.
What can a tattoo tell you?
For generations, Native peoples across North America have used tattooing as a powerful form of cultural expression. Tattoos can mark identity, honor spiritual beliefs, celebrate rites of passage, signify social status and carry stories passed from one generation to the next.
re-MARK-able Perseverance: Tattoos explores the rich and diverse traditions of Indigenous tattooing, from ancestral practices to the artists and communities reviving and reimagining them today.
Step inside the exhibition to discover the meaning behind the marks. Explore the tools, techniques and designs from some of the best Native tattoo artists in North America. Learn how tattooing practices vary across Indigenous communities and regions, and see how these traditions have endured despite generations of disruption and suppression.
At the heart of the exhibition are the stories of Native people reclaiming and reconnecting with tattooing as an expression of identity, spirituality, community and cultural resilience. For many, these marks represent a return to traditions that were once discouraged or even prohibited.
Featuring historic objects, contemporary artwork, photography and immersive experiences, re-MARK-able Perseverance: Tattoos invites you to look beyond the tattoo itself and discover the stories, beliefs and cultural knowledge it carries.
Map
Upcoming Events at Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art located in White River State Park
