40 Native American Tattoo Designs that make you proud!

Native American tattoos are a great way for the natives to enjoy their culture as they recognize their heritage. The earliest settlers in the US are well known for their symbolic tattoos that they still identify with till today. The Native Americans were deeply spiritual and the ancient tribal tattooing was often done as a part of religious practice. The common Native American tattoo designs included animals, birds and reptiles that were often tattooed with the clan name of the wearer incorporated.

In Native American culture, the dreamcatcher is a well known symbol and a tattoo design that’s popular and has caught the attention of people from all walks of life. It makes a colorful, one of a kind motif that incorporates spider webs, beads and feathers into an intricate and meaningful design pattern. The best part is that a dreamcatcher tattoo has no particular pattern that it follows so it can be created in a multitude of different ways. However, the dreamcatcher is far from being the only Native American tattoo design that has become popular throughout the years in all different cultures.

The symbols of Native American tattoo design may differ from one tribe to another, where different tribes were identified by different Native American tattoos. In some instances after winning a war, the winners would be tattooed as a symbol signifying victory.

One of the common Native American tattoo designs is the dream catcher which was originally used on the children of the tribes. Dream catcher is believed to offer protection from bad spirits that appear in bad dreams and nightmares.

Native American tattoos have become common among other cultures as well with many tattoo lovers opting to identify themselves with Native American tattoos like the dream catchers, Native American faces, eagles and other symbolic Native American items.

Native American tattoo designs involved use of power animals which were often referred as tribe tottems.  The power animals are believed by the Native Americans to be greater than the actual animals as they embody the essence and the spirit of the animal. Having such a tattoo means that you identify with the character and meaning of the animal.

Native American tattoo symbols vary in meaning from one tribe to another and across the culture groups in North America. In most cases the symbols portray geometric manifestation of celestial bodies. Birds are also often used in the Native A merican tattoos as they symbolize a sense of freedom given the ability to sour up higher.

Most of the Native America tattoo designs are beautiful and very large is shape making them suit well on the wide parts of the body like the back, arms, chest and the legs. The Native American tattoo below is large enough covering the entire arm and it looks quite eye-catching.

Native American tattoos also have spiritual or mystical meanings to those who wear them. The wearer’s believed that having a Native American tattoo would endow them with supernatural power or some divine strength.

Feathers play an intricate role in Native American culture, being a culture that truly lived off the earth and the grounds, nature and the balance there of was an everyday part of life for Indian tribes. Animals were not only used for food but for survival and warmth. Hunting and gathering was a part of daily living for all tribe members, making anything to do with animals and nature an essential part of living for the culture. Today, we honor the culture with a wide range of Native American tattoos that depict the various elements that signify values, culture and pride in the earthly elements around us.

The Native Americans were deeply spiritual and would often communicate thoughts dreams and ideas through symbols and signs like the symbol of man used in the Native American tattoo below. The symbol of man gave an indepth illustration of the life of man.

The Native American tattoo design below shows a creative combination of man and an eagle. The eagle is shown like its on flight making the tattoo depict a rich meaning of the eagles attributes and how its incorporated in the life of man.

Native American tattoos offer a wide variety of choice in color, design and symbol patterns. Many people that opt for these types of tattoos may also incorporate the earthly elements into their design as well such as water, wind, and fire. You may often see tattoos of Indian heads or tribe apparel that can symbolize of wealth of things such as pride, strength, loyalty and family.

Most Native American Tattoo designs involve use of the feathers which were mostly used by the Native Americans in religious ceremonies and rituals. The feathers often used are for the red-tailed hawk and the eagle since they are considered as sacred birds.

The Native American culture and the Polynesian culture were similar in most of the cases regarding the symbolism and the meaning they gave to the tattoos.  Some Native American tattoos could depict a young warrior getting his first kills which explain the crowning with feathers and other elements as in the Native American tattoo below.

Even if you do not have Native American blood coursing through you, you can still respect the feelings and thought behind this tattoo design. Plus you know you have many options to pick from. There are wide array of designs some even including animals like the bison etc.

You can see that the design of the simple dreamcatcher has a couple of feathers and is about 2 inches wide and six inches long. It has been rendered using traditional ink. Complete with colorful beads the simple yet detailed design is quite pleasing.

The other one that you see here has a circular loop and you can see that it follows the heart shaped design. With feathers and beads hanging from it is really beautiful in its elegant lines and simplicity.

Significance:

• For a feeling security and well being. It is believed that having a dreamcatcher
tattoo can protect you from evil and keep you feeling secure. This is strongly
believed for protection from nightmares
• It is also believed to represent the sheer freedom that nature can afford and the integration of man with things from the nature like the trees and the animals

•It can also be chosen to show respect and love for an ancient tradition and set of beliefs that could turn their inner fears into something so beautiful and creative

Factors that determine the selection of a dreamcatcher tattoo

• Make sure that you know the meaning of the tattoo design that you picking
instead of just the way it looks
• Make sure to do your homework both in terms of design and symbolism
• Pick the one that represents what you feel and what you want it to represent. You can get creative and design your own
• Pick the location of the tattoo with care both for cultural considerations and also for the way it will affect your personal and professional life

Native American tattoos were often done by a Shaman or a designated person within the tribe who was known to be skilled in the art.  The process of getting the tattoo done was not for the faint hearted as it involved use of a sharpened rock or bone to carve the tattoo.

Native Americans viewed everything as an embodiment of spirit and the meaning was communicated to all the common symbols used in the Native American tattoos.

The Native American tattoo design below is a combination of all sorts of elements that make the tattoo quite versatile and stunning. The place its worn is also ideal as its large enough making it accommodate every bit of the Native American tattoo perfectly.

According to the Native American culture, the Native American tattoo is a symbol of the image of the spirit meaning where the tattoo is used is perceived as an embodiment of the spirit of the tattoo whether it’s an animal, a bird or a human being.

Native American tattoo designs come with a wide variety of designs to choose from. The tattoos are quite large unlike other tattoo designs and the colour mixture is great for those who love a blend of many colours.

The tattoos with Indian heads commonly feature in the Native American tattoo culture where the head is associated with the family and is a symbol of strength and loyalty.

Native American tattoos are known for the fascinating look and complexity. The tattoos can be worn by both men and women, even those who are not Native Americans.

The Native American tattoo below looks spectacular with the colours blended so well. The tattoo is large enough making it suitable for the upper back where it’s worn.

It’s important to research on the meaning of a tattoo before deciding to wear it. Most Native American tattoos have very symbolic meanings and it would be necessary for the wearer to find out on the meaning that best suits one need before working on the tattoo.

It’s also good to decide on the size of the tattoo you want and the place you would wear it on. Deciding in advance gives you enough time to ponder on your decision and get to wheigh on your decision if its actually what you want.

Native Americans were well known as hunters and gatherers a fact that make them value animals greatly. The animals were not only a source of food but also played an integral role in their culture.

Fire, water and wind are elements that are also popularly incorporated in the Native American tattoos. The incorporation of the elements in the tattoo with a blend of different colours creates an eye catching Native American tattoo design that stands out when worn like in the tattoo below.

This huge Native American tattoo incorporates almost all the common features used in the Native American tattoo design. The symbol of the tattoo below can be quite complex given the many features involved in its design.

Native American tattoos are gaining popularity world over and not only a preserve for Native Americans. The tattoo below of a Native American girl and an animal looks stunning and reinforces the deep connection the Native Americans have with animals.

This Native American girl tattoo looks immensely beautiful. The colured feathers enhance the facial appearance of the girl  on the tattoo creating a rich picture of a Native American girl.

The use of skull with a head dress is a common feature in the Native American tattoo design. Incorporating skulls in tattoos is common with tattoo designers and the below Native American tattoo design just looks stunning with a combination of the feathers.

Native Americans loved to express ideas and thoughts through symbols like the tattoos and they also had a common belief that everything like the animals, plants, trees had a spirit and by having a tattoo of any of the features symbolized one’s connection to the spirit.

One common feature that dominated the Native American Tattoo design is the thunderbird, which symbolized dominion, provision, protection and having an indomitable spirit.