Why Getting Her First Tattoo at 74 is so Meaningful to This Woman

Mary Kudlak shares the emotional process of getting her first kakiniit, or traditional Inuit tattoo.

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The tradition of kakiniit in Inuit culture all but disappeared in the past few decades. The tattoos on various parts of the body, including the face, represent family, culture and community, and the practice was erased by the effects of colonialism. Artist — and tattoo artist — Hovak Johnston was devastated when she first heard that the custom was about to literally die out with the passing of the last woman with traditional tattoos. So Johnston founded the Inuit Tattoo Revitalization Project. The organization has now tattooed over 80 women and is continuing to work to revive the art form.

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Follow Hovak Johnston on Instagram:   / hovakj  

More about the Inuit Tattoo Revitalization Project:   / inuittattoorevitalization  

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Why getting her first tattoo at 74 is so meaningful to this woman
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