WHRO LIVE LISTEN WATCH EDUCATE ABOUT SUPPORT US DONATE CONTACT US ENEWS myWHRO

SKINDIGENOUS

Sunday, January 25th

10:30pm on
Runtime: 00:25:46
Widescreen

Iqaluit

Written and directed by Jason Brennan. Northern Canada is home to the oldest tattooing traditions on the planet. Ippiksaut Friesen, a well-known young Inuk artist, was inspired to follow the many Inuit women before her and develop tattooing skills for her sisters. Notwithstanding the challenges in maintaining and reclaiming Inuit traditions in a world strongly affected by contemporary society and climate change, the importance of female tattooing among Inuit women continues to grow. Ippiksaut hopes to play a vital role in the resurgence of traditional tattooing.

Sunday, February 1st

10:30pm on
Runtime: 00:25:46
Widescreen

Amsterdam

Written and directed by Randy Kelly. In the 1950s, warriors from the Dutch-controlled Maluku islands who were fighting alongside Dutch soldiers against the Indonesians were brought back to the Netherlands by force. As a descendant of that Moluccan diaspora, Joe Patty-Sabandar has been rediscovering and reconnecting with his traditional ancestral culture. As a tattoo artist, he is very keen to preserve and share Moluccan culture as it existed before the Portuguese colonized the Maluku islands. He is part of a group of third and fourth generation Dutch-Moluccans who are thirsty for knowledge and the ancient culture of their homeland.

Sunday, February 8th

10:30pm on
Runtime: 00:25:46
Widescreen

Haida Gwaii

Written and directed by Courtney Montour. When Haida artist Kwiaahwah Jones picked up the needle and traditional Haida tattoo practices that were once outlawed, she inspired a whole new generation to embrace their Haida culture and make it their own. She has curated Haida art exhibits across Canada but found her true calling in Haida hand poke tattoos. Tattooing was an important part of Haida culture, signifying family lineage and rank in society. Kwiaahwah draws inspiration from being out on the land and water in Haida Gwaii. She sees the revitalization of Haida tattooing as a reconnection to her ancestors.

Sunday, February 15th

10:30pm on
Runtime: 00:25:46
Widescreen

Tunisia

Written and directed by Sara Ben-Saud. Manel Mahdouani is a tattoo artist living in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. As a descendent of the Amazigh people native to North Africa, Manel specializes in Amazigh tattoos. With tattooing traditions no longer practiced, her grandmother's generation are the last to carry the traditional designs and knowledge. Since many still depend on oral transmission of their cultural knowledge, Manel travels to remote villages and searches for the knowledge found in the collective memory of elderly people. When she finds a tattoo, she takes pictures and adds it to her research. She then modernizes the design for present-day reproduction. Manel is the only person archiving traditional Amazigh tattoos.

Sunday, February 22nd

10:30pm on
Runtime: 00:25:46
Widescreen

Los Angeles

Written and directed by Jason Brennan. Two Ravens is an Opata tattoo artist based in East Los Angeles. As an activist, he was injured at Standing Rock while defending land rights in North Dakota. He continues to use his art to unite and help Indigenous Americans in L. A. and across the U.S. reclaim their origins.