Should 'Westerners' get Maori artwork tattooed on their bodies?
Not sure if this belongs in the Philosophy and Religion forum (since we are discussing a derivative of faith), but yeah that's my question. Should Westerners, or anyone for that matter, outside of the Maori culture get Maori tattoos/Maori style tattoos?
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Just goes to show that there's a huge demographic out there of people who get tattoos because they look cool, not because they hold any personal significance to the people getting them.
Not everyone with a tattoo is a total tool... but these sorts of people are.
Not everyone with a tattoo is a total tool... but these sorts of people are.
Yep, they create a stereotype unfortunately.
I don't believe in getting religious/cultural tattoos unless it is part of your religion/culture... I'm catholic, I'm not gonna go get a hamesh hand tattooed to me no matter how pretty some designs are.
But, people can do as they please; a lot of people get tattoos for no reason other than they are visually appealing and they want to.
So no, I don't think they should, but it's not like we can stop them.
But, people can do as they please; a lot of people get tattoos for no reason other than they are visually appealing and they want to.
So no, I don't think they should, but it's not like we can stop them.
Very true, I was discussing with other deviants that, it isn't exactly fair to tell people what they can/can't get inked.
The way I see it, it may not necessarily be "right", but I wouldn't call it wrong either. It's a gray area topic. I don't think they do it to insult/harm/disrespect/etc. the other person/culture/religion/whatever. They just like it, like Chinese symbols, every fourth person with a tattoo has them... I know quite a few and none of them are Chinese, it's just a popular tattoo type. 
Yeees. Very true, I think the vast majority of people just get the pretty design, but have no intent to insult (a tongue twister there)
exactly.and I bet
nope. These tattoos hold a cultural/religious significance to these people. When a westerner gets a tattoo they relegate it to "decoration" and "it just looks pretty to me" status while probably being ignorant of the history and meaning etc. This is cultural appropriation and insulting. The only way to be legit is to have the people whose culture you are interested in, grant you permission. Same goes for dressing up in halloween as indians, geishas etc or getting tattoos in kanji without speaking japanese. Personally, I'd be ashamed to have a tattoo like that and be seen by a japanese person, and I even speak the language!
I don't think it's as much of an issue with kanji, because it's a writing system rather than a design of cultural significance.
eh, well, true, not as offensive. But it just looks weird, especially if the kanji is some sort of "meaningful sentence" that people just google-translated from english to japanese/chinese without knowing if it actually makes sense in the original language. Sometimes I see some hipster dudes/dudettes like that in the subway and try to make sense of their kanji tattoos.
Yeah, I read a little bit of kanji and it's funny. I was on a bus into town the other day and saw two guys discussing tattoos. One said, referring to a piece on his forearm, "this is the kanji symbol for my name in Japanese." It was the symbol for dog haha
haha, no way! 
Me and a classmate did that on purpose one time and I wrote my name purely on phonetic syllables so I ended up with "truly wicked field"
Me and a classmate did that on purpose one time and I wrote my name purely on phonetic syllables so I ended up with "truly wicked field"
haha that's wicked 
I'm looking to get the Seven Virtues of Bushido inked. First and foremost because it is a wonderful set of principles to live by, I stive to practise them in my life. But my friend is Japanese, I've been to and lived in Japan (for a brief stint of 4 months), and his father formally accepted me into the family; his lineage is descended from a samurai family, so I do have quite strong links to Japan and bushido embedded in my proposed tattoo
I'm looking to get the Seven Virtues of Bushido inked. First and foremost because it is a wonderful set of principles to live by, I stive to practise them in my life. But my friend is Japanese, I've been to and lived in Japan (for a brief stint of 4 months), and his father formally accepted me into the family; his lineage is descended from a samurai family, so I do have quite strong links to Japan and bushido embedded in my proposed tattoo
Unless they actively want to look like douchebags.
Maori? Probably not, based on my understanding. I once expressed interest in the Maori language and got shot down by some Maori people saying whites have no right to try to learn their language, along with some other related comments.
Talking about it with someone who was a huge promoter of Hawaiian culture, he said he isn't surprised as they tend to be pretty protective of that which has largely been taken away from them, while culturally Hawaiians, on the other hand, are more welcoming of those who wish to embrace their language, culture, and so forth.
Talking about it with someone who was a huge promoter of Hawaiian culture, he said he isn't surprised as they tend to be pretty protective of that which has largely been taken away from them, while culturally Hawaiians, on the other hand, are more welcoming of those who wish to embrace their language, culture, and so forth.
It's understandable, considering the amount of damage white colonisers did to their culture, all in the name of white 'civilisation'.
'Should'?
I don't follow...
No. Never ever. Nope nope nope nope 
It may be a little insulting or whatever but there's nothing that can be done about it, if these people find the design aesthetically pleasing and don't care about the meaning there's no way to stop them.
Yes very true. There isn't an effective way to enforce this. And anyway, I'm sure it would breach one's human rights to be disallowed the freedom to decorate one's body in a fashion of their choosing. Being insulting isn't illegal
This is true, as proven by the Westboro Baptist Church :3
Do elaborate