Tristan Agnauraq Morgan (b. 1995)

Anchorage, Alaska

Sarah Whalen-Lunn was the one who gave me my tavluġun (chin tattoo) in September of 2018 and my sassuma arnaa (finger tattoos) in January 2019. My traditional tattoos are something very personal and sacred to me, and a completely different mental and spiritual process than any of the other 15 tattoos I have. I receive lots of questions about them, but I'm not always inclined to share my story with everyone who asks. Thankfully people are kind. My tattoos have been a way for me to connect to not only other Inuit people but other Indigenous groups who are reclaiming and reconnecting through the revival of traditional tattoos. My favorite memory is having my hands held by young Iñupiaq girls while they ask me about my tattoos and asked if they could get them, too. That is probably the most exciting and fulfilling part, the connections I make with other Indigenous people through my tavluġun and sassuma arnaa.