Traditional KALINGA Tattooing

Tatak Ng Apat Na Alon TRIBE (Mark of the Four Waves Tribe) Elle (Amang-RED) traditionally tattooing Tita Naty Kalinga Native and also apat na alon member now, in TABUK, KALINGA, Philippines, October 2008. with strectchers from L.A. chapter GYROE and ZEL assisting and IFUGAO apat na alon chapter member KUYA FERNAN also representing.. We are adding to her little and existing tattoo that is a centipede that she got from WHANG-OD. you will what she got from Whang-od when you look her up on YOUTUBE for KALINGA TATTOOS it is very little in comparison to what i added to the rest of what she receive when she met with us in the states she got both of her arms tapped and finished. it is beautiful will update.. SOON In the PHILIPPINES hand poke was introduce when the Spanish rule, Catholicism and Islam from down south came about. they did not want to encourage the title & rank system to continue within the animist & pagan tribes that are the majority in most of the islands, so to break down the practice of these natives, & slow it down to kill their ORGANIZATION. ((because the way they organize is by tattooing their leaders & nobles & warriors, a CLASS system a TITLE AND RANK system)) The RELIGION made it illegal to be tattooed, & since we TAPPED IT LOUD & PROUD and it is heard to apply these beautiful "EARNED" Tattoos or TATAKS or BATEKS or PATIKS!!! That is how MOST tribes lost their TRADITIONS & IDENTITIES in some way, to keep away from not getting arrested from their so called rulers or OVERSEERS the SPANISH church or MUSLIMS mosque who deemed tattooing as the worse to wear because of the many propaganda behind it from their prejudice churches valued judgment tattoos became equal as DIRT when they were viewed when really it was made for KINGS of ours before they ((FOREIGNER)) came to these islands. So elders of this tradition no matter what will always have a percentage that will continue the tradition a percentage who kept the TRADITIONAL TAPPING the tattoo in the skin going!!! that percentage of course were tribes who are the tribes that move to isolated places. the ones who were conquered and delt with the spanish or the muslim filipinos secretively practiced the other way of tattooing and that is the hand poke way of tattooing to hide the sound of TAPPING so they will not be caught.they are brave and continued by tattooing the hand poke way even though they are around spanish rule or around the muslim rule. it is very sad that our tattoo tradition with the LOUD AND PROUD of the usual and traditional TAPPING as only an ORAL TRADITION tells the way a STORY, and LEGEND or A FOLKLORE would be passed around should go by great great grandparents or a great grand ma pass it on with a story, it is only a whisper now..... and to some not even a sound.... and that is sad to not know who you are.... so this is a START lets revive and find and earn our marks so the whispers of our ancestors can be loud again. ONE LOVE MARK OF THE FOUR WAVES TRIBE