So my mom is arguing with me not to get any traditional tattoo’s and not get anymore than the small symbol I currently have.

Because she says, “when you grow old they will look ugly”, “western society doesn’t accept that, they will look at you like you are in a gang and that’s not your personality”, “you will ruin your skin”.

She tells me, “I know it looks nice, I like them to, but people will look at you differently and when you grow older they will look ugly”. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t care what western society thinks because you live in it.”

Um, hi mom ya I don’t fuckin care what fuckin’ western society thinks. It’s the very reason why our tattooing traditions have been nearly wiped out from our culture along with everything else, and why majority of people have this colonial mentality. No they will never look ugly because they are motifs that mean something, they represent myself, heritage, accomplishments, and ancestors.

Do you think the Maori care what white New Zealanders think of their traditional tattoo’s? Or Hawai’ians? Do you think that they care what western people think? Fuck no, why should we it’s our fuckin cultures, it’s our fuckin’ heritage, and it’s our fuckin’ traditions. Why should we bow down to what is right in western societies eyes when we have already done plenty of that over the past 400 years since Spain arrived and colonized the islands? Tell me.

So no, it’s my body I will do what I want with it. If I want traditional tattoo’s on my arms, I will get them. Not now, but eventually. It’s my heritage, my connection with my ancestors, our traditions, my decolonization, and I don’t give a fuck what you or what western society thinks because I am reclaiming what is ours.