mimefullaughter

[mimefullaughter]

Tā moko and Blackbeard - PLEASE READ

Omg Blackbeard’s tattoo’s are so cool-

Wait a second …

WHOA WHOA WHOA HOLD ON A MINUTE THERE

That went from zero to 100 REAL quick lets get some education about tā moko up in here before we make these wild claims! Tatau or tattoos have been found all over the world in many civilisations, but it was absolutely the Age of Sail and the colonisation of the Pacific Islands that popularised it and spread it around the world. Tatau is a samoan word that means to strike, and many polynesian cultures have a rich history of tattooing with very specific meanings and connections. Western sailors visiting the islands got their own and soon brought tattoos back to white civilisation where we know and love it today as artistic body modifications. Western tattoos usually come with deep individual personal meaning as opposed to the widespread cultural meaning that occurs in polynesian tattoos. Tattooing has also had a big impact on the queer community too which makes the ofmd connections all the more interwoven (it’s about the intricate rituals)

Edward “Blackbeard“ Teach from Our Flag Means Death is played by Taika Waititi, a Māori and jewish man, and as part of his character design, Taika’s own tattoos were added upon to create the visuals of blackbeard! These tattoos are an essential part of the character and it makes sense that anyone drawing or especially cosplaying Blackbeard would want to make sure that these tattoos are included. Unfortunately there has already been a few (probably well-intentioned) call-out posts for doing so (see above), saying that cosplayers should not be drawing on tattoos that have specific cultural significance! Which is absolutely correct! The problem is these posts have also failed to recognise what is and isn’t Māori tā moko and what is literally just . . a regular tattoo 🙈  Here’s Taika and his tattoos:

The eagle on his chest, the little Rita Ora tattoo on his hip and yes, those black bands on his arms are all likely to have very personal meaning to Taika but they are not tā moko.

Tā moko is the practice of tattooing that is specific to the Māori people and a quick google search will show you just how recognisable tā moko is, a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.

Tā moko is usually the more traditional type reserved for the face and the more modern concept of tattoos as body art can be referred to as Kirituhi. Every piece is unique to the wearer, with koru (spirals) that represent family and the darker infilled parts using various symbolic patterns.

Here to give some input as Māori people themselves are my friends on twitter speaking about the specific tā moko that Taika has that you shouldn’t try to reproduce: The tā moko on his leg, the whare (meeting house) on his wrist, and the traditional imagery of rā the sun on his back (seen in the above photo of Taika also) 

@neonbirb

@weylandyuutani

@ceylonthae

So to conclude: YES as a non Māori person you should avoid drawing on tā moko as part of a cosplay as there is very deep cultural and personal significance in those specific tattoos, and Māori people who see their culture misrepresented in a poor rendition of tā moko will likely take offense. but unless Taika himself has asked people not to there’s nothing wrong with drawing on the tattoo’s that aren’t tā moko, including the eagle on his chest and yes, those two black bands on his arms. BUT ALSO: do not erase tā moko from fanart of blackbeard, if you want to draw the whare on his wrist or the rā on his back, or the kirituhi on his leg - power to you!!! And don’t bloody whitewash the man either or I’ll set the kraken on you!!!  ☠🐙 (Please go retweet and support my friends on twitter I have linked them all above their tweet screenshots!)

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This is unconscionable. 💙🥄

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‼️Call to Action‼️

(x)

Alright yall, are you bored and have access to the internet?

What we're gonna do is spam news outlets and the president's accounts demanding accountability for line 3. Facebook, tik tok, twitter accounts, whatever. If we can't have peace than neither should they. If we can't ignore the injustices being done to us than the people allowing it to go on shouldn't be able to either.

Why?

Simply put, because they've been ignoring us for long enough.

Line 3 goes straight through treaty land. It is built by a company thats infamous for how often their pipelines break. The pipeline crosses 22 points of water and puts 20% of our freshwater at risk. Natives have put forth appeal after appeal and have had one protest after another against the pipeline. Line 3 efforts even included actively sabotaging worksites (worksites on native land, mind you). Police have been caught sabotaging water protector efforts as well by doing things like damaging vehicles and dumping our water bottles. They've harassed elders doing ceremonies on their own land. They've brutalized water protectors with excessive force (even using pressure points to get people to submit- it's all on film).

Feel free to say or phrase these facts however you like, but make sure it's understood that these injustices must be acknowledged and stopped. That we know the current administration has the power to make that happen.

A tactic like this only works if all do it. So please do this. Don't let them keep ignoring us. And allies, put your voices right alongside ours and demand the same.

Don't be discouraged of it seems like there aren't many others doing it yet. Pass this post along and more will be right behind you, I promise. A tactic like this needs exposure to work. The more this is reblogged the more people you will have on your side. So please reblog and give it time, don't give up, please.

use #HonorTheTreaties. let's see if we can get this trending, yeah?

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“It looks like it’s going to rain” 

I say to no one. 

Even the cat has retreated to our boxspring 

But I like to think the sky might notice.

#whatisthis poetry? guessso needaplacetocallhome formyfeelings

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Now what? After 3 weeks of protests and educating ourselves and educating others, how do we keep the momentum going for this civil rights movement? How do we make permanent change?

X

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The only decent way to use white privilege

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Lin Beifong in The Legend of Korra, Book One: Air, Chapter Six: And the Winner Is…

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no idea if this is true, but it feels true

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everybody has seen vanessa stockard's black cat paintings im sure but im still so obsessed with how she paints the cat like

literally JUST eyes

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“without resistance there would be no movement”-Rilke

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anyone else have that #nonbinary feeling where refering to yourself as a woman (or man) feels fine but then someone else refers to you as a woman/man and you just

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I'd very much like to punch a feminist.

I’d never, ever hurt a lady but I’d be happy to punch a feminist. It’d bring me great joy.

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“Each dot represents 5,000 hogs.” World Geography. 1948. 

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in this essay i won’t

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Another pride month goes by and once again I’m left out. My friends are left out. Many in my city are left out. Why? Simply for the way we exist in the world.

It seems like pride is only for the abled. Only for those whose bodies meet a certain standard. The rest of us need not arrive. Be it long parades in the heat, booths blocking curb cuts, overwhelming noise and smells, or a lack of places to be able to sit, barriers are set up keeping disabled people out.

My city has three pride events this weekend. All have statements on their websites along the lines of “all abilities welcome!” or “mobility aids encouraged!”. And every year, every single year, that’s a lie.

Today was a trans pride rally. It promised free food and a low key atmosphere. Being transgender, I was super excited - that is, until I got there. The event was being held not in the parking lot they said to meet, but down the street in the middle of a park. A park with no sidewalks. Not even a curb cut.

So while music played and dozens of celebrating trans people and allies swarmed the bright booths and food tents, I sat on the street with two other disabled people. After a few minutes, we just looked at each other and realized we just have to go home. According to the event, trans pride isn’t for us. 

And that is fucked up. 

A whole group of people - of LGBT+ people just like the rest - are told to stay at home. Abled people - you need to do better. You need to take responsibility, stop leaving your LGBT+ siblings behind. 

If you do not include disabled people in your pride, then you’re not here for all LGBT+ people. Admit it or change.