Illinois State University ISU ReD: Research and eData Theses and Dissertations 4-4-2019 Inked Bodies, Blank Pages; A Study Of Amazigh Tattooing Hannah Mesouani Illinois State University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd Part of the African Languages and Societies Commons, African Studies Commons, and the Communication Commons Recommended Citation Mesouani, Hannah, "Inked Bodies, Blank Pages; A Study Of Amazigh Tattooing" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 1096. https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/1096 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ISU ReD: Research and eData. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ISU ReD: Research and eData. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. INKED BODIES, BLANK PAGES; A STUDY OF AMAZIGH TATTOOING HANNAH MESOUANI 86 Pages The tradition of Moroccan Amazigh tattooing reflects the values and lived experiences of the communities that partake in this sacred practice. Adorning their fellow women with symbols of protection, tribe alliances and fertility, Amazigh women display their core values on face and body that come to represent their community. The power of these images and the women who wear them have stood the test of time, even in a newly male-dominated, Islamic Morocco that frowns upon body modification and promotes a nationalism that leaves little room for Amazigh tradition. In a corner of the world where literacy rates are low, Amazigh art tells the often untold story of a community that was once buried in the sand. The semiotic significance and politically gendered ramifications of Amazigh body art allows for the telling of multiple truths.