The influence of Christianity
Tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on the body by inserting pigment through ruptures in the skin. Decoration is the most common motive for tattooing. In Polynesia, tattooing was a cultural practice that transcended time and space but overtime, tattooing gradually lost its importance in the cultural routine of the Polynesian people as the Christian missionaries forcibly paved the way for a relinquishing of ancient customs in many regions thereby eradicating tattooing in Polynesia.