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Many of these women are making a standing comeback in current society as in the early 1800's many of these tattoos were banned. The Māori women are popularized for their scarification chin tattoos. The Ta Moko facial markings were banned in 1907 with the  Tohunga Suppression Act.

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This controversial tattoo is important to the woman as the tattoo resembles their strength, heritage, culture, social status and it is believed by many that these markings spiritually bring together their long-lost ancestors.  In living with this tradition, it is bringing voice to a culture silenced during colonization.

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Hailing from Ziro Valley, a district in India, the Apatani Tribe women historically are believed to be some of the most beautiful women of the world.

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The Apatani Tribe were faced with many raids and kidnappings. IT was believed that Apataani women were the most beautiful looking women, so during the attacks, many of the women were raped, kidnapped and sold into slavery. A way of preventing much of these incidences was to disguise their beauty. Most women, when reaching the age of puberty would receive sacrificial nose plugs and facial tattoos.

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Members of the South Ethiopian tribe, known as the Karo Tribe- scar their body and use pigments to add contrast during this process to achieve beautification.  It is believed the tribe that thinks that having pure, non-decorated skin is not beautiful.

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When a female of the tribe reaches the age of maturity between 12-15, she will undergo this special ceremony. It is believed that the scarification process shows her emotional maturity, and strength when she shows no emotion during the scarification ceremony. The more scarring, pigments, and designs show higher levels of strength within.

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To express a woman's entrance to social adulthood and reproductive potential, many of the Mursi women have the settlement women in their lives cut holes in their lips and incorporate the use of wooden disk lip-plates to stretch their lower lips.

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There is much corresponding proof toward the multiple ideas of why the tradition of lip-plating exists. One of those is that the tribes used lip disks to disguise beauty and prevent the slave trade of the beautiful women in the tribe during times of tribal raiding. There is also speculation revolving around the size of the lip-plate identifying her bridewealth.

Motives of the lip-spacing are somewhat unknown. Many girls between that ages o 15-16 participate in the ceremony, yet other women wait until childbirth to have the procedure done.

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The nine-day festival in Phuket is a time to ward off evil spirits, cleanse sins and present strength to the Gods.

During this festival, brave individuals will take to vegetarianism as they participate in extreme facial piercings.

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These festivals can be dated back to 1825. It is believed that those who engage in the piercings and deities descending from above that cleanse people's sins with their piercings and strength.
Most people will meditate into a trance to feel numb during the process.

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Most North American body modifications are done to alter the body to shock people as a form of self-expression. Most modifiers use dangerous practices such as saline injections, silicone implants, sub-dermal implants, teeth filing and tongue splitting to express themselves. The modifications are extreme, gain a lot of attention and some say are spiritually enlightening. Most of these drastic modifications are often pieces of evidence hinting toward mental illness.

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There are very different reasons one would want to modify their appearance.
Beauty is a concept that is exceedingly opinionated and in expanding knowledge into different traditions, standard, practices and beliefs. It is easy to understand that beauty is vastly different when observed by different regions.

Self-expression and differentiating oneself from society can be enlightening, strengthening and observed as beautiful.

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Beauty and procedures around the world can carry vary and show many different principles. Upon embarking on this research assignment, it is insightful to see that a majority of the body modifications found around the world relate to disguising the beauty of an individual and symbolizes their inner strength.

The ability for one to express themselves with tattoo body art is becoming more acceptable as society progresses. It is interesting to see how far back body art modifications started being used and the motives behind it, such as Ta Moko tattoos. These markings originated from New Zealand and were a tradition expressing cultural heritage. The comeback of this tradition shows solidarity is self-expression and respect for culture after their banning some 100 years ago.

These modifications certainly differ from those practiced in the North American culture and show separation from social norms to tribal traditions.  North American culture thrives on whitened, pure skin with symmetrical features whereas Mursi and Karo Tribe members can very much attest that. Their skin markings and scarring offer insight into entering adulthood, status and their strength.

During research, it was compelling to include the presentation of strength in beauty. North America holds beauty to a standard of being successful and put together where middle eastern countries signify beauty as the tolerance and silencing of pain.

I think it is important to reflect how confident tribal women have had to go to such radical extremes to avoid sexualization, being raped and being sold into slavery. I think much of their strength comes from solidarity in being a woman, recognizing sexualization as gender and drastically promoting a stand for it.

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References