For some tribes tattooing was a path to social status. The Maori tribe was one among them. The Maoris were a tribe of New Zealand and tribal tattoos let them ride the ladder of social status. Their tattoos were known as Moko designs. But Moko designs were not only used for social status, it was also used for health purposes. They believed that by tattooing Moko designs on their skin they can preserve their youth. That is why women of Maori used to tattoo their lips and chins. An old story says when an old woman started losing her eyesight; she tattooed her hands and face in order to gain back her eyesight.
In Hawaii, the inhabitants had their own tattoo God, temples for tattoo Gods and also tattoo priests. Before starting a tattooing session they used to pray to the tattoo God to make the process less painful, so that the person upon whom the tattoo is done doesn't die and the wounds heal as fast as possible and they also pray for design to be beautiful.
Some tribes of Cambodia and far eastern countries used practiced the concept of yantra tattoos amongst themselves. It was done mainly with the purpose of warding off the 'evil eye'. But they definitely had a deeper meaning. Modern day scientists and doctors are looking beyond the tribal people's purpose of doing the yantra tattoo. They have opened up to the concept of treating ailments through the process of acupuncture.
In the earlier days some people used to get tattooed to show their passage from childhood to adulthood. It was believed that if a boy can not tolerate the pain of tattooing then he will not be a good warrior and so he would have chances of being secluded from the tribe. On the other hand it was believed that if a girl can not take the pain of tattooing then she will not be able to tolerate the pain of childbirth.
From 1970s tribal tattoos again came to light. People started wanting tribal tattoos with simple designs and deeper meanings. People started looking for their own origins to make their own unique tribal tattoos. Thus they created a new form of tribal tattoo known as the neo-tribal tattoo.
