Tattooing Across Cultures in Early America

What stories can be told by someone’s appearance? We often read a great deal into someone’s tattoos: what they value, who they love, what communities they belong to. This type of scrutiny has a long history, particularly in times and places where people from different cultures might meet: unfamiliar body modifications can be a source of misunderstanding or—if adopted by a newcomer—a means of joining a community.  

In this talk we’ll explore stories of tattooing in early America, learning about how tattooing was performed, who received such marks, and how debates about tattooing’s significance shaped colonial culture and politics. We’ll consider too the role that tattoos play in modern conversations about cultural appropriation—as well as cultural revitalization.

Dr. Mairin Odle is Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of Alabama.Her research focuses on cross-cultural interactions between Native Americans and settler newcomers in early America.