Friendly reminder to non Samoans when they go to see Moana: if you ever decide to get a Disney-themed tattoo, please please please do not copy Tui’s.
Also worth nothing to forego this if you cosplay him as well. Yes, it is still disrespectful because a respected cultural tradition is literally being used as a costume.
That goes for pretty much for all Polynesian people. Moko are a strong part of the Maori, Tongan and also Hawaiian culture.
Please stop.
If someone is dressing up like a fictional character that is their choice.
The tattoo will very likely not be 100% accurate in the first place.
If people claim black people and Asian people and white people and disabled people can cosplay whoever they want then you can’t dictate that.
They either can or they can’t.
People can get ever tattoos and dress up however they damn well please.
The preservation of an indigenous tradition will always be more important than the need to give Westerners creative freedom because they feel so entitled to our culture. And it doesn’t matter how “accurate” it will be, because it will always be a bastardized version of the real thing. And it IS a problem if someone decides they want the real thing. Because that tattoo is a rite of passage that not everyone gets the opportunity to receive, so how dare you chalk it up to not letting people getting whatever tattoo they want.
Do you know exactly what those tattoos represent? Do you know what getting one entails? Are you aware it can take a hours to weeks to months to complete the tattoo? Are you aware that people lose consciousness because of the loss of blood/pain? Are you aware that you can’t get the tattoo done alone and have to have someone do it with you?
I am not blocking your creative freedom. I am saying “THIS is problematic for THIS reason and you shouldn’t do it because it has significant meaning to my people,” and some of yall are taking it as me not wanting to let yall have your cosplays.
Please stop.
LISTEN UP FOLKS
FUCK YA COSTUME BITCH THIS IS THEIR CULTURE.PERIOD
The Carving Witch 