Mentawai tribe, is a native of the Mentawai Islands. Residential areas of Mentawai, than in the Mentawai Islands Pagai also in North and South Pagai. This tribe, known as the creator of the herb, and when you first learned, has not been farming in the plant. The typical tradition, is the use of tattoos in the entire body, associated with social status and role of users.

Mentawai Islands district, is one of the districts in West Sumatra, Indonesia. This district, called such a name according to the original geographic. Districts in the archipelago is situated ± 150 km in the Indian Ocean, consisting of a main island groups namely Pulau Siberut, Sipora, North Pagai Islands, Islands and South Pagai (each with its own small islands) is inhabited by tribal communities in the Mentawai offshore West Sumatra.

This district, has an area of 601 km ² and a population of 64,235 inhabitants. Capital is in the Tuapejat. District is divided into four districts and 40 villages.

In Indonesia, the people in the Mentawai Islands Mentawai, Dayak tribe in Kalimantan, and Sumba in NTB tribe, already tattoo since the first time. Even for the Dayak tribe, someone who has "decapitate" the enemy, he get a tattoo on the hand. So also with the Mentawai tribe, his tattoo is not made recklessly.

Before creating a tattoo done, there's Harvest Enegaf alias initiation ceremony conducted in Puturkaf Uma (gallery houses a traditional Mentawai tribe). The ceremony is led by Sikerei (shaman). After the ceremony is completed, the the Tattoo is held. Titi (called, for the tattoo) is a cultural and Mentawai good shape and have more meaning.

Tato tradition that began in Siberut abandoned, along with the influence of the outside world. According Urlik Tatubeket, Chairman of the Board of Alliance Care Mentawai Indigenous People, tattoos are not only known in Siberut, but in all other such as the Mentawai Islands in Sipora, North Pagai and South Pagai. But there was a tradition tattoo already lost since 1950 - an.

Mentawai people no longer decorate her body with tattoos, except in some rural areas in the kampong Siberut .

Irrespective of the actual tattoo is a traditional Mentawai treasury of the world. Ady Rosa, researchers from Indonesia tattoo Visual Arts Department, State University of Padang, concluded that the Mentawai tattoo, including the oldest in the world.

Unfortunately, not many meanings, and examine the types of tattoos in the Mentawai. Ady Rosa investigate the use of its own new tattoo on the Mentawai people in some villages in Siberut, and not examine the tattoo on Sipora and Pagai. In fact, according to Urlik, tattoo Sipora and Pagai have certain differences from the tattoo Siberut.

For example, in Sipora have three tattoos curve in the cheek and a straight line from the chin to the neck. This tattoo, and will not be inspected immediately lost due to users who have been pregnant.