I suppose it’s time for me to come with a serious reply.
Many of the conflicts in the world (both present and past) could most likely have been avoided if people better understood the concept of mutual respect. In this case we have some Gallente boys using Matari Tattoos as a fashion statement (or whatever) without having respect for the cultural significance said Tattoos have for the Matari society. On the other hand the Matari who saw them didn’t respect the Gallente boys enough to have a more civil approach to this than violence.
There is no easy approach to this other than education. The better you understand someone who is different than you, the better you respect them. In this case the Galletne boys may have thought about it differently if they knew about the cultural significance. In this very thread we also see certain individuals spewing hatred at our traditions because they have not been taught (aside from what would most likely be considered propaganda) about our culture nor do they respect it.
Violence is a bad method to address this. If you forcefully tell someone to stop, they will just cling harder to it and fight for their right to do so. It will just widen the cleft between the two parts rather than building bridges and reaching mutual respect for each other.
So judging from a lot of replies, thoughts and comments. It seems that an education of Gallente about the significance of the Matari Tattoos is better. Than beating the knowledge into them, but how to go about that?.
Take out add’s or perhaps visit educational institutions ?
Serious suggestions? I’d say lectures at Federation schools, preferably at the high or college level and not above, to educate them on both Minmatar culture and the dangers of copying our tattoos.
You could also try to get a Federation media entity to run programs on the matter, but the Federation tends to prioritize entertainment over facts in their media, so that might be difficult.
There is a huge Minmatar demographic in the Federation. Almost all schools and universities have courses on cultural studies, and Minmatar culture figures very strongly. These parents are voters. Politicians, leaders and business people have to complete mandatory diversity training. In the poorer districts, often more than half of teachers are of Minmatar heritage.
The ‘dangers of copying our tattoos’ are precisely the reason why certain teenagers ink them on regardless of their education. It’s ‘edgy’.
Additionally, as a one time policeman in the Federation, I can assure you that there is a pretty significant gang culture in many of the cities which is Minmatar controlled - and modelled on tribal loyalties. As you would expect, tattoos are important in that milieu, and young people entirely unconnected with the real gangs think it is ‘cool’ to ink themselves with those symbols. Even when by doing so, and taking a wrong turn downtown, they likely end up on a mortuary slab. Harsh payment for fashion choices, but that’s the young for you.
Ignorance isn’t quite the same as conscious disrespect. Cut the kids some slack, most of them will grow out of it by the age of 30 the latest, the rest are already a lost cause as far as cultural sensitivity goes and deserve what’s coming to them.
I’ve had the displeasure of knowing a person who was actually knowledgeable about these tattoos and what he did with that knowledge was… well, they fascinated him to the extent where he tried his own spin on them by combining them with Amarr ornamental patterns. Except that he preferred scarification instead of ink as a means of his artistic expression. No consent or anesthetics involved, either.
I’d like to hope he has walked into one of these gang-controlled back alleys at some point since the last time I’ve seen him. Given how unlikely it is for a Blooder to do that, getting hit by a shuttle would also work.
I understand the edgy bit, perhaps there is a way to make them less edgy. But that would probably mean to make us matari less sensitive, which i don’t think will work…
It can lead to edge, that’s how you get the edge. Of a knife, usually, if you wind up next to a group of a few drunks with bad attitude and stupid ideas.
An edit - maybe I should explain this a bit, since from my point of view - it’s not really a matter of cultural appropriation.
For most of the Matari, ink has meaning - and it’s not some vague shamanistic “woo”, beyond the marks at least - actual meaning. For instance, getting the markings of a Republic Fleet pilot looks cool as hell, but to someone from that culture - you effectively are wearing a uniform. You are a member of the Republic Fleet, you are flying their colours.
If you put on your arm something that says - “I’m the most badass guy in this room” and roll into a seedy bar - someone’s gonna check you on that.
Marks themselves, well, they’re a bit of a superstitious woo. I reckon stamping a Ray of Matar on your forehead will get you less flak than army markings or some statement of strength.
With the worse of the marks you do instill upon yourself a risk. For some of the more superstitious lot, being in the presence of a Pale means misfortune, or with the Broken they may fear that you’ll somehow make your closest friend turn on you in the near future.
As for the outcasts themselves, well, they’ll usually apply the “check you on that” rule and just by the place they took in society they often aren’t polite people.
Considering what happened to the last Ray, and where, a Gallente dumb enough to tattoo it on themselves should count themselves lucky if they survive the month.
This is an important point and one I’m surprised it’s taken this long to make.
Tattoos in Minmatar culture are not just pretty patterns, they identify everything from name and clan, to rank and position. The biggest problem I see with teens wearing Minmatar tattoos for “fashion” or “rebellion” is that they may well be claiming a position in society that they simply do not have.
This shouldn’t be tolerated any more than the Amarr would accept someone declaring themselves a Holder or a member of the Theology Council, or the Caldari would allow someone to walk around with a CFO’s ID badge on.
Voluval marks are something separate, and whether or not you consider them
they are usually very personal, important, and meaningful to the individuals that have them. I know if I saw someone walking around with a copy of my Voluval, without having undergone a ceremony of their own, I would be pretty ■■■■■■■ mad about it.
Edit:
I thought I’d just add this because it occurred to me that some of our non-Matari users might not realise the distinction between a Voluval and a tattoo. Put very simply, the Voluval is formed with melanin, rather than being drawn onto the skin. It’s more like a large, patterned freckle, or perhaps a birthmark. This means it’s really easy to spot a fake Voluval.
I emphatically agree with you, Mizhara. Someone make a note of the time and date!
It’s true though - there are a number of social and cultural similarities that make me inherently comfortable with some Matari. I understand the place that their thinking comes from and that makes me relax, regarding their motivations. I don’t, however, ever feel that I really share them - and that’s fine.
Perhaps the largest gifts that a cooperation between State and Republic brings are that both of us would be content with the other to simply be themselves, and not feel the need to change each other.
While I don’t really disagree, Pieter, I kind of feel a premonition here.
“Ever since you cornered the market in [such-and-such a mineral absolutely necessary for synthesis of something totally trivial and unimportant, like medical vitoc], prices have quintupled! Twice!”
“Well, if it was important to you, you shouldn’t have sold it all to us.”
I think it also bears examination that the ‘State’ and the ‘Republic’ are rather unwieldy constructs for our real life experiences. For example, as a Vidaraltyrim of the Vherokior, I found working with members of the Wiyrkomi Megacorporation on a previous project much more satisfying than others from the State groups. They seemed to understand our concept of family and circle, underpinned by honour and the iron of words uttered, rather than contracts written - though of course, there were always contracts.
Easier in truth, to work with them than many Sebiestor, who are so practical in everything and have a solution to hand instead of reflecting on their choices in the universe for a while. And don’t understand that some of us are, at heart and blood, a desert people and don’t necessarily like the cold!
We’re a nation of people who have made work-arounds and ‘make-do’ solutions out of literally scraps and detritus into functional weapons of war. While we might object, or try to renegotiate such an arrangement, ultimately, our response would be to find another way. Because no, if we were foolish enough to sell all of everything to someone else? That’s not their problem.
The Caldari may be the most industrialized of the cluster’s economies, but we’re the most innovative. We’ll find a work-around.