
January 7th - 9th 2011
Palmer Event Center
900 Barton Springs Rd,
Austin, TX 78704,
United States

A tattoo is a permanent marking made by inserting ink into the layers of skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification, while tattoos on animals are most commonly used for identification or branding.
Tattooing has been practiced worldwide. The Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan, traditionally wore facial tattoos. Today one can find Berbers of Tamazgha and Maori of New Zealand with facial tattoos. Tattooing was widespread among Polynesian peoples and among certain tribal groups in the Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, Africa, North America, South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand and Micronesia. Despite some taboos surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular in many parts of the world.
This kind of tattoos are called Ainu. Tattooing has been designed quite differently in the past, and in some cultures, it retains its primary function and that is protection. Tattooing has been used for protection rather than decoration, particularly for protection during pregnancy and childbirth when the woman is exposed to many risks. 


