Native American Tattoo

"Caña brava" sticks are often inserted in a piercing of the skin directly under the lower lip and are used as facial ornamentation by Matsés woman. The length of the stick is greater in younger woman as compared to older Matsés women. Facial tattoos in this Amazon tribe are composed of lines surrounding the mouth and continuing on the cheeks to the ear base. Previously, most of the Amazonian tribes had distinctive tattoos on their faces that demonstrated their affiliation to a particular tribe. This was particularly true in the Yavari Valley of Peru and Brazil.

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