A WILLIAMSTOWN woman who was publicly tattooed at Melbourne’s Federation Square this year says the action caused controversy in her Pacific Island culture.
Emeretta Cross, born on Ocean Island and of Kiribati and Tuvalu descent, is about to get the second instalment of her tattoo.
Recently named one of Hobsons Bay 20 most inspirational women, Ms Cross believes she could be the first woman of Tuvaluan descent to be tattooed in 100 years.
“I’m the first person to talk about it publicly that I know of,” the Footscray cultural consultant said.
“I found out that only the men had it done and it was stopped a little under 100 years ago because the information from the Christians was that there’s a bloodletting [and it] is unnecessary and the body in its form in God’s image is already perfect so we don’t need to actually add or do anything different.
“That’s the Christian recommendation, so our elders decided to stop doing it altogether and they’ve been very strict about that and to this day they’ve not had any tattooing.
“Some of the elders from back home and even some of the women here are saying, ‘who is she to bring this up, who is she to bring the tradition’?”
Ms Cross said she eventually obtained her elders’ blessing and now others were looking at following in her footsteps.
“It was interesting because they all see me as a mother who is trying to bring something to my son but also, connecting all the women and the other parents who might be disconnected from their tradition.”
Ms Cross said Tuvaluan body markings showed genealogy and recorded stories. “And then when your next group took on those markings, they added a bit more of their own identity.”
