Body modification in the Americas reaches back at least 5,000 years. Archaeological and historical evidence includes ancient tattooing tools from present day Tennessee dating to approximately 3500 to 1600 BCE, Inuit and Alaska Native tattooing and lip ornaments, tattooing in the Eastern Woodlands and Southwest, Maya dental shaping, inlays and piercing, and tattooed people in ancient Peru. These were not parts of one shared tradition. Their forms and meanings differed across Nations, regions, communities, and time periods.
Coming to MIP in Fall 2026, Sacred Canvas will explore this long history from ancient practices to contemporary piercing, tattooing, and body art. By connecting archaeological evidence with living Indigenous expression, the exhibition advances MIP’s mission to build greater understanding and respect for the Indigenous cultures of the Southwest.
