It’s a couple of days late, and Chamorro Month has come and gone. However, tattooing on Guam over the years, I have done a lot of local imagery. With the flowers, there is definitely some Polynesian motif, but the flowers are definitely local.
To be clear, I am not against Polynesian tattoos. I just don’t get many requests for that style. What I am against however, is the popularity of local tattoo artists claiming that this style is indigenous to Guam. In fact, there is no proof that tattooing ever existed on Guam prior to the 1950s, and that has more to do with the military population instead of the local population. You can find a more in-depth discussion of this lack of proof on the Guampedia website. The good people at Guampedia have compiled an extensive collection of information about the island and its culture, so it’s an awesome resource for anyone looking to learn more about Guam.
There are so many aspects of local culture that are beautiful and unique to Guam, and for the last 20 years or so, there has been a cultural renaissance in which many people have come to embrace who we are instead of aspiring to be someone they see in magazines or on television. From a business point of view, success depends on your ability to meet demand. however, there is danger in promoting misinformation for the sake of profit in a time where people are searching for cultural identity.
Inspiration for local tattoos can more readily be found all around us rather than on the internet. Tattoos traditionally are a depiction of a way of life, and only by going out and experiencing life can we truly illustrate that way of life on our skin. Whether or not the ancient inhabitants of Guam wore tattoos, today many of us have them.
Regardless of what history does or does not tell us, tattooing is alive and well on Guam, perhaps more now than ever before. Stop by Eli’s Ink in Anigua if you want to see what we can do for you, and I hope everyone had a successful Chamorro Month!
Ian Overseas 