105+ Native American Tattoo Ideas to Honor Indigenous Heritage

From eagles and eagle feathers to indigenous elders, there is a vast Native American tattoo selection for you!

My fascination with art history actually began with the indigenous cultures of America. So, from a young age, I immersed myself in Native American history, culture, and their art. This is why I am always excited to have a client that wants to get a Native American tattoo - we get to talk about the beauty and complexity of indigenous peoples!

In this post, I will show you the top Native American tattoo ideas and give you some insight to what they mean!

The Best Native American Tattoos

Here are the top Native American tattoo designs that you can choose from:

Native American Eagle Tattoos

As you are probably aware, eagles are incredibly important to many indigenous tribes. However, you may not really know just how significant these birds are or why they hold such a place of honor. For instance, did you know that the feathers are highly revered as well?

This is something that you should understand before you get a Native American tattoo with an eagle motif.

One of the reasons that eagles are considered so important to Native Americans is because the bird can fly incredibly high. And, so, they believe that it is one of the only creatures that can fly close to the creator.

As such, the eagles are associated with truth, honesty, strength, bravery, wisdom, and freedom.

The eagle feathers were only given to Native Americans that had proved themselves in battle or in the service of their tribe. They were only presented to those who were truly worthy. You could also only collect one feather at a time.

And, these feathers have to be handled incredibly carefully. For instance, if a feather ever falls to the ground, a special ceremony has to be performed before the feather can be picked up again.

Native American Totem Pole Tattoos

Totem poles tend to be exclusive to Northwest Coast indigenous peoples. They are carved from red cedar and are painted in vibrant colors.

The animals on the totem pole represent the characteristics of each family. Due to this, they represent a familial identity.

The rest of the totem pole may tell of the family's history. In some instances, these totem poles reflected the properties and riches possessed by a certain family.

Dreamcatcher Tattoos

A dreamcatcher is arguably one of the more well-known symbols of Native American cultures. Even then, though, most people don't fully appreciate the concept behind the dreamcatcher.

The dreamcatchers were handcrafted by elder family members and hung near where children slept. The webbed portion of the dreamcatcher acted as a container for the dreams. However, only the bad dreams were caught in the net.

The good dreams were allowed to trickle down and pass through the feathers. The bad dreams remained in the net until daylight when they were destroyed by the sun.

What a lot of people don't realize is that there is quite a bit of meaning attached to the design of the dreamcatcher.

For instance, the circular, leather-wrapped frame is meant to represent Mother Earth, she who sustains life. The frame also represents the continuous circle of life.

There is also significance in how many points of the web are attached to the frame. For example, 13 points refers to the phases of the moon, 8 refers to the spider woman in indigenous legends who is both teacher and protector, and 6 represents an eagle.

Native American Tribe Tattoos

When we talk about Native American culture, we tend to talk about it as a single entity. This is because most people assume that Native American tribes to be quite similar to one another.

In reality, this isn't the case at all.

Native American tribes are sovereign nations unto each other. So, you can think of each tribe as a separate country. Each tribe has its own languages, beliefs, customs, and more.

Not only that, there are independent languages and rituals within each tribe as well.

Due to this, I would like to give you an idea of what kind of Native American tattoos you could get for each tribe.

Cherokee Tattoos

Before colonization, Cherokee Nation occupied a large amount of land and their tribes were quite impressive.

Cherokee culture is largely about finding balance within yourself as well as the world around you. It is also about taking responsibility for your actions and understanding their impact on other people.

This tribe is also concerned with the greater good and each individual's role in it.

Here are some Cherokee Native American tattoo concepts that you can borrow from:

Navajo Tattoos

The settlement of Navajo tribes is quite interesting. For one thing, small groups gathered together, based on maternal links.

Unlike other tribes, the Navajo didn't have a very organized government structure and, instead, preferred to manage practices and issues among themselves in smaller entities.

They were also incredible artists, producing everything from rugs to pottery. Even today, the distinct patterns and symbols of the Navajo can be found in indigenous clothing and textiles.

Here are some of the Native American tattoo designs that you should check out:

Sioux Tattoos

The proper name for the Sioux is Oceti Sakowin Oyate or the People of the Seven Council Fires.

So, how did they come to be known as the Sioux? Well, this is due to a mistranslation among the French who tried to cross paths with the Oceti Sakowin.

This indigenous tribe was described to the French as the people who lived near the snake-like river. However, the French got it wrong and assumed that they were known as little snakes or Nadouessioux. After a while, this name was shortened to Sioux.

The Oceti Sakowin were a nomadic tribe and they were known for their hunting prowess. They were also great warriors.

Here are some the Native American tattoo design ideas associated with this tribe:

Apache Tattoos

When you think of the Apache tribe, you probably think of raiders and warriors. While the Apache were known for their bravery and their aggression, there is actually so much more to the culture than people realize.

For one thing, their method of government was an interesting one. Power wasn't inherited but rather it was earned. Whoever garnered the most respect within a particular tribe was considered the chief.

Not to mention, there were certain Apache tribes that were quite agricultural; growing and other vegetables. They were also noted for their bison hunting capabilities.

Check out these gorgeous Native American tattoo design ideas for this tribe:

Native American Elders Tattoos

You should consider Native American tattoos with the faces of elders.

Indigenous elders hold a significant place within their families and their tribes. For one thing, they are known as the wisdom keepers.

Not only are they well-versed in tradition and history, they also have the advantage of experience. And, so, it is up to them to pass on this knowledge to the younger generations.

In turn, the younger members of the tribe go to great lengths to care for their elders. They will provide them with food and shelter, wait for them to begin dancing at religious ceremonies, and more.

So, if you do want to show respect for the tribes and culture, getting a Native American tattoo of elders is one way to do it.

Here are some elder Native American tattoos that you can draw inspiration from:

A Note About Native American Tattoos

The conversation regarding indigenous people, Native American culture, and the rights of the peoples has been evolving over the last few years.

Due to this, non-indigenous people are learning more about Native American culture and Native American heritage than ever before. More importantly, they are learning the accurate history of indigenous people and their tribes.

See, for the longest time, people cherry-picked elements of indigenous cultures and incorporate them into their own.

This is why you will find that some Native American tattoo designs have distinctly Western or Caucasian elements to them.

Due to the creative license, you are free to get such Native American tattoos if you wish. You should be aware that these Native American tattoos can be considered cultural appropriation or even cultural erasure.

If you love Native American heritage and culture and want to show your appreciation, it is a lot better to do your research and discover accurate elements to include in your Native American tattoo design.

And, you should go to indigenous tattoo designers to ensure that your design is authentic and respectful.

Did Native American Tribes Tattoo?

Yes! There was an ancient tribal tattooing practice across various tribes.

The design, location, and meaning of the tribal tattoos varied from one tribe to another, though. In some instances, someone's tribal tattoo could help to share information about them - who their family was, whether they had children, and what trauma they had gone through.

In other instances, such Native American tattoos acted as protection - they prevented spirits from the recently deceased from inhabiting other bodies.

In short, the Native Americans have a rich and wonderful history of tattooing. Sadly, once missionaries invaded indigenous lands, they stopped the indigenous peoples from continuing this practice.

Thankfully, there has been a revival of tattooing across the country once more!

There you go - if you want to get Native American tattoos, you are now spoilt for choice. Since you understand the significance and meaning behind tattoo design, you will be better equipped to pick out a tattoo that is respectful as well as right for you!