Note: This article focuses on Inuit people who lived traditionally, before the beginning of the 20th century
Across large parts of the Northen Canada, Arctic land and Siberia, Inuit communities practice facial tattooing (tunniit) and body tattooing (kakiniit). Unlike body painting, these markings are permanent.
Women’s tattoos are more strictly codified and widely shared, whereas men’s tattoos are rarer, more individualized, and closely tied to personal life experiences. For women, the chin line is essential, symbolizing beauty and fertility.
In Inuit society, a man will not marry a woman who does not bear a chin line. According to Inuit beliefs, an un-tattooed woman also risked being poorly received in the afterlife.
Women’s tattoos are typically applied by older women, often a mother or close female relative, within a clearly defined ritual framework. The process extends over approximately two years and takes place under family supervision. It is painful and results in inflammation lasting several days.
The technique consists of drawing with a bone or metal needle threaded with oil and soot coated fiber beneath the skin, which gives the tattoos their characteristic bluish pigmentation. These tattoos are not merely decorative, they fulfill multiple functions:
Medicinal, serving to relieve pain or functioning as a form of acupuncture;
Spiritual, ensuring access to the afterlife;
Shamanic, providing protection against evil spirits, illness, shipwrecks, or complications during childbirth;
Social, signaling an individual’s skills, knowledge, and expertise.
Tattooing constitutes an essential rite of passage for women, required to be recognized as “beautiful women” and to be eligible for marriage. It marks the major stages of life, including puberty, marriage, motherhood, and menopause. The process begins at puberty, with the onset of the first menstruation. After menopause, tattoos also serve to distinguish women from men.
The motifs consist of dots, zigzags, lines, and geometric shapes, generally symmetrical and repeated identically on each limb. In some cases, lines appear at the base of the nose, or small anthropomorphic figures are tattooed on the hand or shoulder.
Tattoos may be placed on all parts of the body (hands, arms, legs, feet, and face) and in some instances cover nearly the entire body with bluish patterns.
Women’s facial tattoos symbolize the sun, beauty, and spiritual protection.
Delicate facial markings are believed to be necessary to appease “Sister Sun,” who, according to Inuit beliefs, punishes those lacking such tattoos in the afterlife by blackening their faces with fire or tar.
Facial tattoos are also sometimes associated with the mythical raven and are understood as a protective mask against non-human beings.
The forehead is frequently marked with a double-lined V motif extending from the hairline to the nose, or with fan-shaped designs radiating from the nose toward the forehead.
The cheeks may be adorned with egg-shaped, tree-like, or double-lined V motifs extending from the side of the nose to the corner of the eye. Both the forehead and cheeks are sometimes embellished with fine parallel lines. Additional lines may appear at the corners of the mouth and eyes. Those near the mouth can, in some cases, signify the number of whales caught by the husband.
The chin stripes are evocative of a girl’s first menstruation. The primary motif consists of double lines extending from the lower lip to the throat, symbolizing the transition to adulthood, preparation for marriage, and, in some cases, access to the afterlife.
Tattoos on the chest are applied after childbirth, serving to commemorate motherhood.
The markings on the arms and fingers are linked to the legend of Sedna : beautifully tattooed hands are believed to be necessary to appease the mistress of sea creatures during the journey to the underworld after death.
The forearms are decorated with lines, dots, or bands that highlight skills in sewing, preparing hides, and supporting the family. Lines on the fingers or around the wrists symbolize manual dexterity and the transmission of feminine knowledge.
Each community has its own distinctive patterns. For instance, the Inuit of northern and central Hudson Bay add olive branch–shaped marks at the corners of the eyes and mouth. On St. Lawrence Island, the cheeks are adorned with curved lines, with the outermost line extending from the lower jaw to the temple and eyebrow.
At Cape Thompson, all women bear three small lines tattooed on their chins.
Near the Great Fish River, tattooing is particularly widespread: the face, as well as the middle and little fingers, are decorated with numerous lines. In some cases, up to six diagonal lines extend from the nostrils across the cheeks, eighteen lines run from the mouth to the chin and neck, ten lines extend from the corners of the eyes, and as many as eight lines run from the forehead to the middle of the nose, between the eyebrows.
In Point Barrow and the Mackenzie district, chin tattoos are preferred, typically featuring one to seven vertical lines. A single line is uncommon, but when present, it is usually wider than the others.
Among the Inuit, male tattoos are rare and are not intended for decoration. They primarily function to indicate social status, provide spiritual protection, demonstrate skills or accomplishments, and assert personal distinction.
The motifs are generally simple and symbolic:
Lines: representing the life path;
Dots: symbolizing hunted animals or spiritual protection;
Triangles and chevrons: denoting strength and hunting prowess;
Crosses: marking landmarks and offering protection;
Animal motifs: expressing a connection to the hunted animal;
Y-shapes: representing harpoons and other hunting tools.
Men’s tattoos serve to signify particular achievements or social status:
Great hunter: the number of whales killed is recorded with lines, tail fins, or crosses on the nose, arm, cheek, or shoulder.
Shaman: specific designs denote their role.
Murderers: two horizontal lines on the nose.
Cannibals: distinctive markings identifying them.
Enemy killer: a mark on the shoulder.
These tattoos are applied by a shaman, an elder, a renowned hunter, or occasionally a family member. The process is often accompanied by songs, prayers, or incantations.
Bibliography
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