The Inuit: Kakiniit

Kakiniit are traditional Inuit tattoos that mark an individual’s transition to womanhood. As such, they have traditionally been done by women on women for a variety of purposes consisting of, but not limited to, aesthetic, medicinal, and religious ones. While the practice was persecuted throughout a large part of the twentieth century, it’s now going through a revival with many Inuit women wanting to reclaim and embrace their heritage and culture.

The tattoos were done either on the body or the face. The body ones usually covered arms, hands, breasts, and thighs, but there were instances of women being tattooed everywhere but their stomachs. The facial tattoos held a special meaning in the Inuit culture with young women being unable to marry until they received them. Traditionally, they were proof that a woman had essential skills for adult life. For example, V marking on one’s face represented entering womanhood, and chest tattoos symbolised motherhood. The tattooing process was carried out by elderly women who usually specialised in embroidery. They would use traditional tools such as bone, wood, or steel needles to poke symbols on the skin.

Interestingly, Inuit men would also receive tattoos, but theirs were rarer, less extensive, and served a different purpose – they worked as amulets.

Nowadays, both the meaning behind tattoos and the method of obtaining them has changed. The original symbolism has been lost to time, so women come up with new and unique symbols to reclaim their heritage. Similarly, a tattoo gun is often used in place of needles, however, some wish for the practice to be done traditionally and thus use the hand poke method.

The Māori: Kōhā

Kōhā is a Māori custom of gift‑giving. The word itself can be translated as “gift”, “offering”, “donation” or “contribution”. Traditionally, guests would offer their host a gift, most often food or items of cultural significance, though nowadays money is the most common form of kōhā. However mundane kōhā seems, it has a deep meaning which ought to be embraced by both the guest and the host so that no one causes or takes offence.

The essence of kōhā is reciprocity. The guest shows his or her respect toward the host by giving the right gift. In turn, the host ought to show gratitude, fitting the gift he or she received. In a more spiritual sense, kōhā reflects the mana of both giver and receiver – a concept of life force and healing power crucial in Māori societies. In other words, mana signifies power, authority, status, and influence. The mana of the gift‑giver can be questioned if the gift is not adequate.

In most contemporary situations, kōhā is a fixed‑upon sum communicated to the guests before the event. In this way, there’s no embarrassment due to giving an inadequate gift. However, the very nature of gift‑giving remains voluntary. It is not a charge for services or facilities.

Aboriginal Australians: Welcome to Country

Welcome to Country is a ritual or ceremony performed to emphasise the importance of land to the Aboriginal people. To them, the “country” signifies much more than the geographical location they inhabit. Instead, they see the people and the land as interconnected, for the latter represents culture, religion, language, and kinship relationships.

As such, the practice takes place anytime new people visit the area inhabited by a specific Aboriginal group. The ritual itself consists of a traditional smoking ceremony, dance, and music, and is performed by an elder in the group.

In the contemporary context, Welcome to the Country takes on a symbolic meaning – the recognition of the First Nations within Australian society. Due to the tragic colonial past, the Australian government perceives it as crucial to show its support for the Aboriginal people. Because of that, Welcome to Country has been incorporated into many official events such as the opening of the Parliament of Australia after each federal election. It can take on a form of speech or remain more traditional with a smoking ceremony.