Tribal tattoos have been practiced for thousands of years. Modern people yet to do so for many reasons, such as belonging to a modern 'tribe' even if they do it on a subconscious level.
The tattoo is also considered a rite of passage to adulthood. One belief is that if a girl can not take the pain of tattooing is not marriage, because it will never be able to cope with labor pains. If a child can not deal with the pain, is considered a serious risk as a warrior, and could be isolated from the tribe.
Some primitive tribes use tattooing rite of social status. Maori, New Zealand, mainly used for the tattoos for this purpose. For Maori, Moko designs enhanced their prestige of the person and show transition from one status to another. At the highest level, Moko designs proclaimed the sacredness chieftanship.
The Hawaiians are important to people who have specific tattoo gods. In Hawaii, the images of the tattoo gods are kept in the temples of tattoo priests. Each tattoo session begins with a prayer to the tattoo gods that the operation could not cause death, wounds can heal quickly and that the drawings could be beautiful. Many modern American tattooist will tell you: "When you should get a tattoo, the tattoo god will tell you it's time."
In the 1970's, American tattooing discovered primitive, tribal tattoos. People wanted simple designs with meaning and they began copying designs, especially the South Pacific islands. In recent decades, people of European origin began looking for tribal tattoos of their own origins and created a new form of tattooing commonly known as neo tribal tattoos.
