Long Shot

This may be a bit of a long shot, but I'm going to Fiji in April and I'm looking to get a tattoo done. I'd love to have it done in the tradition style and method, but know this could be asking a bit.

If anyone has any ideas or knows anything that may help, please let me know.

Thanks

I know it is possible, but depending on the time you have to spend; to get a really well done tattoo, you will need to rub elbows with the right people, make an impression, and show that you 'deserve' one. I suggest asking locals with good ink where they got theirs done- many have been done with the new method of motorized needles. Or, if you are short on time, you can just track down an artist, and pay quite a sum for a traditional tatoo, though it might mean less, the end product is similar.

I'm sure if you're a man of ink you know that it is discouraged for Westerners to get Fijian tattoos done, but really, if you want one bad enough, and can do with the pain, why not? I have a friend of Fijian descent, who was adopted to the US. She traveled back to find her family, and recieved the traditional coming-of-age tattoos ( a few decades late) that her matrilinear line had received for ages. Her husband and friend got their own tattoos, with their own meaning. Obviously it meant a great deal more, but if you just want the physical experience, I think it can be done. I would advise to get it done 2-3 days before leaving back home, so that if (rather when) infections arise, you will have access to the products that you know to treat it. It's much easier to nurse such invasive wounds in your own elements.

You can safely disregard the nonsense posted by respondent #1- traditional coming of age tattoos haven't been done for over 150 years now

While home tattooing is still done I've never seen anything worth owning-most of it it crosses/butterflies/dragons and other trite crap-and I have a number of tats including a Marquesan design.

There is a tattoo place in Suva but I can't remember the address, another guy in Nadi does them with motorised needles out of his house any Fijian cab driver should be able to tell you where he lives.

Note that Indian cab drivers are a poor source of info on tats-they re generally older guys who aren't interested.

Nonsense? For someone who knows everything, you probably know that most tattooing in the South Pacific has undergone a revival of tattoos, and families are beginning to continue the tradition. Though Tonga and Samoa have tattooed much more recently (common until military contact in the 1940s) Fiji is considered the origin of tattoo culture in the South Pacific. The revival in traditional tattoo is a way to bring back pre-missionary culture to native Fijians. Many families have traditional patterns on barkcloth (masi kesah) that have been passed down matrilinearly, and it is generally women in Fiji that get tattoos, though in Samoa and Tonga it is the opposite- only men received them. But as there is now quite a bit of mixing in the South Pacific, they are received by men and women, as a sign of solidarity of a family group. Here are some books you can read if you want to educate yourself to the matter; the first is very good:

Native Arts Of North America, Africa, And The South Pacific - George A. Corbin

The World of Tattoo: An Illustrated History - Maarten Hesselt van Dinter

Representing the South Pacific: Colonial Discourse from Cook to Gauguin-Rod Edmond

"Many families have traditional patterns on barkcloth (masi kesah) that have been passed down matrilinearly'

That's true as far as it goes however...

"...and it is generally women in Fiji that get tattoos..."

I doubt the person who wrote that lying garbage has ever been near Fiji, it total Bee Ess.

In fact most Fijian women are churchgoing hat wearing Methodists who wouldn't be tattooed with a knife to their throat, forget that their skins are altogether too dark for a tattoo to show anyway.

The exception with skin colour is in the east places like Lau which show a definite Tongan influence.

Edited by: someone who has all kinds of tattos from many places

Well, you may be right in some respects, but you still seem to lack anything resembling manners. I spoke with my friend today, and she is Somoan, not Fijian.
However, women traditionally were tattooed in Fiji, and I am not saying that all the old religious, Christian-converted Fijian woman are running out getting tattoos, but it is becoming more popular in young people- serving to attach a cultural identity to oneself. Maybe while cavorting with Methodist church ladies you didn't notice the younger Fijians? Maybe you are just too closed-minded and arrogant to have noticed? Here are some interesting blog posts [http://babasiga.blogspot.com/2007/01/rites-of-passage-for-fijian-girls-then.html] on the matter.

And I don't think skin colour much enters into it- Africans have long had tattoos, and those done in the traditional manner have lots of scar tissue that does show up on dark skin. But clearly, you think you know what you're talking about and won't take the opportunity to find out otherwise, so I wonder why I am bothering.

"Maybe while cavorting with Methodist church ladies you didn't notice the younger Fijians? "
Well I've slept with more of them than you'll ever meet and none of them had any tattoos anywhere I could access(!)

You are living in a dream world-if a young Fijian woman ends up tattooed she also severely limits her future choices in life-again Fiji is a straight place-Christianity is the only choice*** there are no pre Christian remnants left except for some Shark calling.

***(unless you're an Indian and that's another story altogether)

"And I don't think skin colour much enters into it"
Once again you have NFC-typical arrogant ignorant westerner who's never been near the place but knows all about 'native customs' because they read it in some book written by someone who also had never been near the place.

Do yourself a favour -find a design you want-really want-and then get your favourite tat artist to do it for you-that's what I did I have a Marquesan Turtle design that I just love-so do other people it's a beautiful design done by a top notch creative person.

The people you already know are guaranteed to be better than some back alley Fijian hack artist

Here's the OP's question - let's try this again:

This may be a bit of a long shot, but I'm going to Fiji in April and I'm looking to get a tattoo done. I'd love to have it done in the tradition style and method, but know this could be asking a bit. If anyone has any ideas or knows anything that may help, please let me know.

Getting traditional tattoos in Tahiti is relatively easy, but Fiji may be quite different. Anyone with some helpful advice and experience with Fijian tattooing?

"Anyone with some helpful advice and experience with Fijian tattooing..."

Doc-I've been to Fiji 3 times seen all kinds of bad work visited a number of tattoo places all except one the front room/yard of someone's shack-as I've posted above.

"While home tattooing is still done I've never seen anything worth owning-most of it it crosses/butterflies/dragons and other trite crap"