Etched into her skin from the wrists up to her nail beds, the markings are no ordinary tattoos, but symbols of traditional "tatau" found among the people of the Polynesian island country Samoa.

Fun fact: the English word "tattoo" actually comes from the Samoan word "tatau!" It's a tradition passed down for thousands of years — surviving time, distance, and colonization. Something that ...

gets a tattoo the traditional way, with a sharp comb dipped in ink tapped into the skin. The art of tattoo is practiced across the Polynesian Triangle, with designs and meanings that vary from ...

HONOLULU (Island News)-- A Samoan Army Captain is the first soldier to receive approval to have traditional “tatau” or tattoos on her hands. This move not only honors Captain Isis Sake’s ...

She recently got a tualima, a traditional Samoan tattoo on her hand, after her father became seriously ill. "I basically got it for cultural beliefs and traditions," Sialega-Fili said. " ...

Looney, who also owns the Pacific Soul Tattoo shop on Ward Avenue, helped to create the exhibit in his spare time. He said his shop is one of two on Oahu that does traditional Samoan tattooing.

Capt. Isis Sake, breaks ground as the first soldier of Samoan descent to gain permission to display traditional hand tattoos in religious uniform accommodation. 12 months ago Latest Videos ...

Tattoos in places like Samoa, Tonga, and Hawai‘i can signify ... a conscience guiding Maui to make right decisions. Traditional Hawaiian tattooist Kalehua Krug says that conscience applies ...

Unlike the modern fashion of body art, traditional Polynesian tattoos were a powerful means of communication and expression. Polynesian tattoos represent the good “Mana” wisdom, a spiritual ...

Army Capt. Isis Sake is the first soldier to receive a religious accommodation for traditional Samoan hand tattoos. (Jon Simkins/Staff) Small arrows, birds and stars adorn the tops of the soldier ...