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13 Episodes 2018 - 2018
Episode 1
In the remote village of Buscalan in the Philippines, it's possible to find a National Living Treasure - Whang-Od. She's been practicing traditional tattooing for over 80 years and people come from all around the world to have the privilege to get a tattoo from her. Even though she wants to continue as long as she keeps her sight, she made sure that her practice will live on through two grand nieces who feels that tattooing is in their blood.
Episode 2
Métis artist Amy Malbeuf's insatiable appetite for new creative outlets has led her to work in many artistic fields, including traditional Indigenous tattooing. Indigenous teachings and traditions are, for Amy, a foundation from which she can follow her boundless inspiration and innovation. When it comes to tattooing, however, Amy feels the need to practice the traditional methods developed by her ancestors, specifically the skin stitch technique of using a needle and thread to weave designs into the skin. Whereas Amy sees her work in the visual arts as deeply personal, she considers her work as a tattoo artist a "service to others," and a direct contribution to the preservation of lived Indigenous culture in the contemporary world.
Episode 3
The Mentawai people inhabit a group of islands west of Sumatra, in Indonesia. For centuries, they have practiced a form of shamanism in which the art of tattoo plays an integral role. Tattoo designs pack immense spiritual power in the Mentawai belief system, connecting the body and soul with the spirits that reside in the plants and animals of the rain forest. By drawing on the power of their tattoos and in order collaborate with the spirits, the Mentawai shamans can heal, protect and instruct their people. It is in part thanks to the tattooed shamans that this Indigenous culture has been able to withstand the onslaught of colonization over the decades. A shaman named Aman Jepri gives an apprentice the markings that will complete his initiation into Mentawai shamanism.
Episode 4
Dion Kaszas is an artist and scholar of mixed heritage who feels a strong connection to his Interior Salish roots. In recent years he has devoted countless hours to the study and practice of the traditional tattooing arts that were nearly lost to colonization. His work of retrieval has connected with him with Indigenous tattoo artists around the world. For Dion, tattoo is an indispensable part of Indigenous culture, a full-fledged language for expressing identity and cultural belonging. He sees his work as an integral part of a broader cultural revival through which First Nations are reaffirming their presence in Canada and on the world stage. Join us as Dion creates new pieces on members of his community using traditional methods.
Episode 5
In the beautiful and isolated island of Samoa, it is not too difficult to be connected with cultural traditions, thanks to Su'a Petelo Suluape and his son Su'a Peter Suluape who are dedicated to share and practices authentic Samoan practices. We meet them while they prepare for the highest tattooing ritual of passage they can perform - the pe'a.
Episode 6
22 mins
Jordan Bennett is an artist of Mi'kmaq descent whose work blends pop culture and traditional teachings into work that connects the past, the present and the future. Drawing on Mi'kmaq and Beothuk symbols and designs, he is playing an active role in the reemergence of Indigenous culture on the East Coast and across Canada. His tattooing methods include the skin stitch technique using needle and thread, and the hand poke using a single hand-wielded needle. For him, these techniques are tools for bringing to light that which was kept in the dark for too long, allowing Indigenous people to express their pride by uniting their bodies with their culture in a powerful affirmation.
Episode 7
If Keone Nunes had never picked up the tools and answered the call to master of kakau, there would likely be no traditional tattooing in Hawaii today. Reviving this ancient art form was Keone's life project, and today he is reaping the rewards of his tremendous effort in cultural renewal. Hawaiian tattoo has become a key part of a great Polynesian awakening that, over the last few decades, has revitalized the Hawaiian islands' Indigenous community. Going far beyond aesthetics, kakau heals, protects, and preserves. It upholds the spirit of aloha, a philosophy that continues to guide Hawaiians in modern times.
Episode 8
Seattle-born artist Nahaan sees tattoo, like many other forms of artistic expression, as a political act and a form of resistance. This artist of mixed First Nations heritage draws on traditional teachings to create new work using modern and traditional methods alike. Born and raised in an urban environment, Nahaan uses the city as a platform for upholding and revivifying cultural practices that colonization once threatened to wipe out. Drawing on the symbology and aesthetics of the Indigenous West Coast, his tattoo work becomes "permanent regalia" on the bodies he works on, expressing through image and symbol the deepest beliefs of his ancestors and the forces that give life to his people and the land.
Episode 9
In the twentieth century, the Maori of New Zealand all but lost their tattooing tradition. Only the women who continued to sport the traditional chin design ensured that the art did not disappear completely. Today, a tattoo renaissance is underway, and artist Gordon Toi plays a key role in the process. Using modern machines to weave ancient patterns reflecting the powers of the natural world, Gordon has made it his life's quest to ensure that the art of ta moko can continue to flourish in the twenty-first century and beyond. His studio House of Natives is more than a tattoo shop-it is a cultural institution and a place where one feels the presence of the sacred.
Episode 10
For a 27 years old person, Marjorie has accomplished so much. She already received a Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada for protecting Indigenous cultural practices by reviving traditional Inuit tattoo art. And even if she traveled all around the world, Nome Alaska will always be her home, and this is where we meet Marjorie to know more about her, the art she practices and the village where she's from.
Episode 11
Nakitta Trimble is the only tattoo artist from the Nisga'a Nation. Along with elders from her community, she hopes to revive the traditional process of tattooing known as gihlee'e. Ts'iksna'aks-the tattoos-were usually composed of crests, known as ayukws, and of adaawaks, which are stories, legends and history. She plans to teach someone else the art of the Nisga'a tattooing so that more people can reconnect with this ancient practice.
Episode 12
The ancient city of Palenque was once a hub of Mayan civilization. For centuries after its decline, it lay hidden under layers of tropical vegetation, until modern archaeologists peeled back the jungle to reveal it to the world in the last century. Today, Palenque is both an cultural center and a sacred site. It was here that Indigenous artist Samuel Olman chose to set up his traditional Mayan tattoo practice. Living in the heart of the jungle near the ancient ruins, Samuel heads up the Olman Project, which aims to revive the art, knowledge and wisdom of Mesoamerican tattooing, while adapting it to the modern world.
Episode 13
Jay Soule is a multidisciplinary artist known as "Chippewar" in the Indigenous community. His internationally-recognized work expresses much of the angst of today's Indigenous population in Canada. Adopted at five years of age, Jay was taken from his birth mother and grew up outside his home community. He is considered part of the "Sixties Scoop," a period in which Indigenous children were removed from their families and assimilated into non-Indigenous households. As a teenager, Jay left his home and opted for a life on the street. For a few years, he lived among the street kids of Toronto, eventually finding refuge in one of the city's Indigenous shelters.