Through tattooing, Dion Kaszas is playing a key role in stitching together the fabric of indigenous identity that colonization aimed to destroy.

That role is recognized in Skindigenous, a series on APTN TV that features indigenous tattoo artists from places around the world including New Zealand, Alaska, Indonesia, the Philippines, Samoa and Canada.

Kaszas, who grew up in Salmon Arm and practises his skill at Vertigo Tattoo, is described in the series as a leader in the revival of indigenous tattooing.

The revival is also a personal one, as he explains at the opening of the episode.

Amid sweeping views of Shuswap Lake and other areas of the community, Kaszas talks on camera about his experience.

sa国际传媒淔or me, the process of reviving my indigenous Nlakasa国际传媒檖amux tattooing practice has been a way of remembering, gaining back those teachings, gaining back those cultural ideals I never gained sa国际传媒� so itsa国际传媒檚 a way of healing and re-indigenizing myself.sa国际传媒�

For millennia, states the Skindigenous website, humans have been marking their bodies with images and symbols giving visible form to what they hold sacred. sa国际传媒淭oday,sa国际传媒� the site continues, sa国际传媒渋ndigenous artists around the world continue to practice this ancient art using their own techniques and traditions. For these artists, tattooing is an essential part of their cultural identity, as well as a vehicle for connecting with nature, the ancestors, and the spiritual world.sa国际传媒�

Kaszassa国际传媒� connection to indigenous tattooing was awakened in 2006 while sitting in the waiting room of a tattoo shop. He picked up a booklet from the early 1900s by anthropologist James Teit, Tattooing and Face and Body Painting of the Thompson Indians. At that time, he did not know his Nlakasa国际传媒檖amux First Nation had a tattooing tradition.

Much has changed. Kaszas immersed himself in learning about the ancient art. He honed his skills with the traditional hand poke and skin stitch techniques. He began working on his Masters thesis at UBC Okanagan in Indigenous Studies and will soon defend his thesis, which is focused on the revival of indigenous peoplesa国际传媒檚 tattooing practices. He has received awards and is sought-after and featured for his knowledge and artistry.

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Coming up on June 7, 8 and 9, Kaszas will be guest curator at the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver for Body Language: Reawakening Cultural Tattooing of the Northwest.

After APTNsa国际传媒檚 four days of shooting last year for Kaszassa国际传媒� episode of Skindigenous, they asked him to become an expert consultant on the series because he knows so many of the indigenous cultural tattoo practitioners.

On the day of the interview for this article, Kaszassa国际传媒� sister Kris Wilson and her spouse Wes were in his studio.

Grief is fresh for them, as Kris and Dionsa国际传媒檚 dad died on March 1. He loved eagles. To honour their father, Dion tattooed an eagle on Krissa国际传媒� arm, appropriately above a mountain tattoo with an Earth line below it.

The Earth line was often on an indigenous personsa国际传媒檚 garments, explains Kaszas.

sa国际传媒淚t is connected to our Earth view sa国际传媒� our responsibilities and connectiveness to the earth.sa国际传媒�

Traditional pit houses were also part of that view.

sa国际传媒淲hen you think of being in a pit house, itsa国际传媒檚 another way you understand the Earth circling us.sa国际传媒�

The tattooed Earth line is also a reminder of that connection.

Kaszas is thrilled to be part of the Skindigenous series, and is excited the production company is indigenous as is the main producer of the show, Jason Brennan. Rather than through a mainstream media lens, he says the show speaks to the whole picture of a revival.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 connected to the historical background of the colonial project, with residential schools, missionization, banning of the potlatch at the Coast and in B.C., and indigenous cultural ceremoniessa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭attoos are so tied to our identity,sa国际传媒� he emphasizes, and that identity is connected to the land.

sa国际传媒淲hen we come back to uplifting ourselves, wesa国际传媒檙e not only claiming our own identity, but giving us strength to fight the fights we need to fight, with the reclaiming of our landsa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�

Kaszassa国际传媒� episode has already aired on APTN, so can now be viewed online at http://aptn.ca/skindigenous/.

marthawickett@saobserver.net
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