Traditional Hawaiian Tattooing (Kahuna ka kakau : Keone)

[adamcat101]

dude give me my shorts back >:(

[cnmhc1]

how can i get a hold of him i will be in honolulu and want to get a tattoo from him any body know his phone number or address

[FixedGearFanatic49]

@cnmhc1 His name is Keone Nunes. Really nice guy i just met up with him last week to draw out a tattoo i am getting done on saturday... Unfortunately he is extremely busy and has meetings and stuff all the time so it can be hard to reach him... just google keone nunes and you'll find his shop and contact info

[ezln1976]

I live in Oahu where can i find some place to get a tattoo like that.

[FixedGearFanatic49]

@ezln1976 Unfortunately it is becoming kind of a lost art, I would only trust Keone with a tattoo like this. look him up on google!

[pagoluv89]

sole,

aua li gams,

ole tatau samoa ga!

[MicVFor19]

where did you go to get this done while you were in hawaii?

[WarriorBK]

Samoa is the only Polynesians that still perform traditional Samoan tatoo's and have been doing it for over 2000 years. Samoans are now helping other Polynesian islands revive their own traditional tatoos. If you really think about it I dont think that it is possible to revive an art that has been lost for thousands of years hence the reason why every tool and design that other Polynesians use for revival of their own tatoo's are exactly like Samoa's tools and designs.

[jwatanabe]

tattooing implements varied throughout Polynesia even within the same island groups you see different implements being used throughout history. The reason, Keone in this example uses the tools he does is because he was taught by Su'a Suluape (Paulo) who recognized the importance of teaching others within Polynesia. We need to appreciate the importance of tatau and it's place in the history of each of our islands. Fa'amalosi fa'amolemole Keone

[jahmaoli808]

HAWAIIAN ALL THE WAY.

E OLA MAU KA LAHUI Hawai'i

[tvoysey]

You are one brave muthafucka

[danielle1105]

OUCH!!!

[shiftynev]

Great diaspora from Samoa and NZ with wave of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th generations living away in AUS, NZ, UK and the US looking to retain our Polynesian identity outside of Polynesia!

How apt it is that the oldest and the youngest of Polynesia's people lead this revival?

[shiftynev]

Samoans have a responsibility and do Maori to advocate Polynesian culture due to the lesser affects of colonialism generally on these two cultures. Polynesia is seeing a revival because of the two.

[shiftynev]

We are only a handful of people on this planet that can lay claim to great ancestors whom navigated and colonised the Pacific.

[shiftynev]

The art of tatau is Polynesian and for all Polynesians.

Remember we must not forget we are blessed that our traditions and all our cultures are seeing a much needed revival, not only in what is unique to each but our shared history and future together.

[NodeathNofear]

how did it feel?

[deakandras]

Well, it was fine until the point when he reached my ankle area (that wave design) and that wasn't fun! ;)

I don't have a regular tattoo made by "new age" equipment so unfortunately I can't compare them. But what they said was it is more painfull then this one.

(Thanks for the first comment I can respond to!) Aloha!! :)

[5tonyvvvv]

@deakandras how did they sharpen the bone in the old days?

[JustSomePerson888]

@5tonyvvvv - look up stuff like 'bushcraft' and 'backwoods skills' - it's the same methods of making tools etc.

[wilmitw]

Samoa carried on with the traditional way of tatau. So, from a Samoans perspective, it would be easy to say that this method and the use of styled tools of tatau were "purely" Samoan. At the end of the day. It matters not. Together we are Polynesian with a great heritage.

Kia ora tatou...

[wilmitw]

however, it is important to mention that techniques for a lot of Pacific Islands changed towards the more modern styles of doing tatau and of course, the sacred significances became insignificant. Yes, it is true.

[wilmitw]

The Tap style tools of tatau were not solely or "purely" a Samoan craft, one needs to be very careful when making such claims. This style was synonymous with all cultures throughout polynesia...(cont'd)

[wilmitw]

And so it is. Today the Moko/Ta Moko gives a light, not literally, yet it is a form of enlightenment (maramatanga). It let's one identify with his/her ancestors and where the bearer/wearer of such markings is placed in the scheme of all things unique and significant to them....(cont'd)

[wilmitw]

the term Moko is derived from the stone that was tapped to etch the tatau into the skin. The Moko stone was used by the great navigators of Polynesia. It was known to glow or give off light and was used to allow for the migrating canoes to perform activities normally restricted to daylight hours, to be carried out at night,or where there was no light, even beneath the waves......(Cont'd)

[wilmitw]

As the white man came into the south pacific during the days of our ancestors, they saw the patterns/designs/tatau on the bodies of the people. They (the white man)enquired of the people what the designs were called. The white man, altered the pronounciation to suit his own linguistic tongue, and from that day to this, the word tattoo has been used. As for the Maori Moko. It wasn't known as the Moko,it was known as tatau. However...(cont'd)

[wilmitw]

Tatau is not a term relegated to just the Samoan people. The term tatau was used right across polynesia. It was as common as counting from 1 to 4, and how similar is that between polynesians? The modern day terminology ("tattoo") is derived from the word tatau....(cont'd)

[samoa1slander]

mamoahina- this is a Samoan art form. They have a reason to voice their opinions since they are Samoan.

[mamoahina]

I never said they never had a reason to voice their opinion. I want Samoans to understand that traditional Hawaiian tattooing weren't done with modern tools either, and to understand most importantly that throughout Polynesia as well as other places further west of Samoa the tattooing style were similar. Only thing different were the designs and that is obvious. How else did you think they did tattooing pre-1820?

[samoa1slander]

First and foremost, o le ta tatau is uniquely Samoan. Unbroken for thousands of years. The knowledge was handed down in certain Samoan families during that time...the art is Samoan.

Now, the Hawaiians lost their art and they sought out the Samoan knowledge to help revive their art. In my eyes and many other Samoans, it will always be a Samoan art form because the Hawaiians were taught by Samoans. However, what tatau means to Samoans is different than what kakau means to Hawaiians.

[mamoahina]

Hawaiians had their way of tatooing too w/ similar tools.