Tavana Salmon (13 January 1920 – 24 September 2024) was a French Polynesian culture advocate and tattoo artist.[1] In 1982, he began his contributions to Polynesian culture through his tattoo practice.[2]

Tavana Salmon
Born(1920-01-13)13 January 1920
Died24 September 2024(2024-09-24) (aged 104)
NationalityFrench
Occupation(s)Culture advocate
Tattoo artist

Biography

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Born on 13 January 1920 in Papeete, Salmon had a Tahitian mother and American father. He moved to Hawaii at the age of three and attended school there and performed shows in Waikiki for 17 years. He also appeared in a film, The Bounty, which was about the mutiny on the Bounty. In 1982, he returned to Polynesia to begin his tattoo practice.[3] That year, over 100 people were tattooed, with 150 the following year.[4] At the start of the revival, there were very few people on Tahiti who had the traditional tattoos.[5] He personally tattooed ten people a day for ten years straight.[6] He made appearances in the documentary films Tatau, le renouveau du tatouage (2007)[7] and Tatau, la culture d'un art (2015).[8][9]

Salmon died on 24 September 2024, at the age of 104.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "N° 84 – Tavana Salmon, portrait d'un trésor vivant". Hiroa (in French). 28 August 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  2. ^ "À Paea, Tavana Salmon a fêté ses 102 ans". Tahiti Nui Television (in French). 14 January 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  3. ^ Galliot, Sebatstien (2019). Le tatouage Samoan - Un rite Polynésien dans l'histoire (in French). Paris: French National Centre for Scientific Research. p. 383. ISBN 9782271126900.
  4. ^ Saura, Bruno (2013). Tahiti ma'ohi Culture, identité, religion et nationalisme en Polynésie française (in French). Papeete: Au vent des îles. p. 532. ISBN 9782367340234.
  5. ^ Ellis, Juniper (2008). Tattooing the World Pacific Designs in Print & Skin. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 275. ISBN 9780231143691.
  6. ^ Kuwuhara, Makiko (2020). Tattoo An Anthropology. Abingdon-on-Thames: Taylor & Francis. p. 290. ISBN 9781000323634.
  7. ^ "TATAU, le renouveau du tatouage". Jour J. productions (in French).
  8. ^ "Tatau, la culture d'un art". france.tv (in French).
  9. ^ "Tatau, la culture d'un art - Trailer - 12è FIFO Tahiti (2015)". YouTube (in French). 30 January 2015.
  10. ^ Chang, David (24 September 2024). "Décès de Tavana Salmon, le départ d'un « monument » de la culture". Polynésie la 1ère (in French). Retrieved 25 September 2024.