TEIKI HUUKENA (English translation): My name is Teikitevaamanihii Huukena. Teiki-te-va’a-manihi’i means Teiki of the foreigner’s canoe. He is the one who welcomes the canoe of foreigners.

KATERINA TEAIWA (NARRATOR): Teiki Huukena is an expert practitioner in the ancient art of tattooing. He’s working to restore knowledge of patutiki and matatiki—a system of Marquesan markmaking in both tattoo and in carving. Look at the intricate carving at the very top of this warrior’s club, or ùu.

TEIKI HUUKENA (English translation): We have a head with two eyes, and then just below the nose, a mouth. And inside this mouth, we have a headband, the head, the eyes, and again the mouth.

In fact, just as a comparison, it’s like Russian dolls. We know there is a big doll, and inside, there is another one.

And underneath all this, we see innumerable patterns that are inside the mouth. And these are like incantations.

In the Marquesas, even today, we believe you can cast spells. Anyone can do it out of anger or kindness. As soon as we say things by mouth, these things can come true.

So these carvings, it’s as if they were invocations, for ancestors to come and help in the fight, to protect.

KATERINA TEAIWA: If you look closely at the biggest pair of eyes, you’ll see carved faces at their centers.

TEIKI HUUKENA (English translation): These are tiki. These tiki faces are ancestors of the warriors who carried these ùu.

KATERINA TEAIWA: The central nose is also composed of a raised tiki, or face. And if you look closely at the band of carving below that nose, you’ll see a pair of lizards, one on each side.

TEIKI HUUKENA (English translation): Here in the Marquesas, the lizard can represent the bearer of death. And so having him sculpted on a deadly weapon is quite impressive and powerful.

KATERINA TEAIWA: Teiki Hu'ukena hopes to revive the art of making carvings like this one.

TEIKI HUUKENA (English translation): What I would like is that we can have access to these objects, so that we can remake them. Just like how when our ancestors carved ancient ùu, they resembled the ùu of our ancestors of that time.

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Audio Footage of Tatau tapping as provided by the Coconet TV.