The traditional Samoan tattoo for men, the pe'a, can cover two-thirds of the body and is imbued with physical and spiritual significance. Pictured is Whanganui man CJ Stowers. File Photo / Stuart Munro
Tattoo-related injuries are behind hundreds of ACC claims every year, costing the country hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
A spokesperson for one South Auckland tattooist said he repaired the tattoos of an Auckland man who nearly had both legs amputated two years ago due to the severity of his post-tattoo infection.
So far this year, 484 new claims have been made for injuries where the accident description contained the words tattoo, ta moko and moko kauae.
Last year, there were 544 claims. No specific qualifications are required for tattoo artists in New Zealand.
Last month, South Auckland-based tufuga (master tattooist) Tulou’ena Mareko had to repair a traditional tatau gone wrong.
The Auckland man’s horror story began in 2023 when he travelled to Samoa to receive his pe’a (traditional tattoo).
Tulou’ena’s spokesperson said the man – whom the Herald has tried to contact – described deeper-than-usual cuts and excess blood, followed by serious infection.
He was admitted to Moto’otua Hospital near Apia and told by doctors that infection had spread into his blood and his legs would need to be amputated, she said.
The Samoa Observer reported that the man’s faulty tattoos were “incomplete and improperly done” by an unqualified tattooist, and were in need of corrective work.
“[He] escaped the hospital and went straight to the airport to catch the first flight out to Auckland,” the spokesperson said.
On arrival, an ambulance was waiting. It then took the man two years to heal enough to seek a new tufuga to complete his pe’a.
Tulou’ena Mareko Tatau stepped up to help the young man and his aiga (family), completing the pe’a in what was an emotional event for all involved - particularly the young man.
“It’s something that he’s lived with for two years. It’s not easy – the embarrassment and shame," Tulou’ena’s spokesperson said.
Tulou’ena has worked from his Flatbush base for decades and has tattooed some of New Zealand’s most well-respected Samoans; including several police staff, lawyers, athletes and politicians.
Among his clientele list is Samoan-Kiwi actor, TV show host, writer turned politician Oscar Kightley, who was last week re-elected as a member of the Henderson-Massey Local Board.
Kightley got the traditional tatau at the end of 2018.
Customary tatau, pe’a and malu (the women’s equivalent of the traditional tatau), are considered a rite of passage and a source of pride for many Samoans, some of whom consider it both a physical and a spiritual process.
It can be gruelling and painful, involving tools traditionally made from bone and pigs’ tusks.
With each tap, blood is drawn: modern tattooing equipment is often frowned upon for pe’a and malu – the pain and stamina would not be the same.
For men, the pe’a covers the abdomen, buttocks, lower back, and legs to below the knees.
The women’s equivalent runs the length of a woman’s thighs to just below her knees.
Samoans wearing the pe’a and malu include former heavyweight boxer To’aletai David Tua, rapper Scribe, former Hurricanes and Manu Samoa star Lome Fa’atau, ex-Silver Fern Sulu Fitzpatrick, and Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni, who was the Deputy Prime Minister when she received her malu tatau in 2023.
Auckland Council and the Ministry of Health offer detailed customary tattooing guidelines, outlining what a tufuga must do before, during and after tattooing.
They both stress the cleanliness of the work area. Ink containers should be one-use only, separate tools should be used on each client – and should be sterilised thoroughly.
Master tattooist Li’aifaiva Imo Levi is the tufuga of choice for many Samoans in New Zealand and Australia: he tattooed Tua and Sepuloni, as well as Sol3 Mio tenor Amitai Pati.
He told the Herald he too has had to step in and fix botched jobs, and stressed the need for people to choose their tattooist with care.
“Your life is in that tufuga’s hands. You would want to place all your hopes and put all your trust in somebody whose morals and values align with yours.
“A lot of people look at the money,” he said, acknowledging cheaper options.
“But people have died. You can gain money again. But you can’t gain another life or another body.”
In the fa’asamoa, or Samoan culture, an incomplete pe’a – known as a pe’a mutu – carries a mark of deep and profound shame for the wearer and their family.
In the case of the Auckland man whose tatau was completed by Tulou’ena Mareko, there were emotional scenes at the completion ceremony, known as the samaga.
His spokesperson said the man described how the unfinished tatau had weighed heavily on his mind and described the relief of that weight having been lifted.
Master tattooist Li’aifaiva told the Herald that even though the man’s tattoo might never look as attractive as other people’s, he should still wear it with pride.
He said it would remain a reminder of the pain, courage and resilience the man displayed to recover – and then persist to complete the tatau.
Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for the Herald’s Talanoa section, sharing stories from the Pacific community. She won junior reporter of the year at the then Qantas Media Awards in 2010 and won the best opinion writing award at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.