In this episode, I sit in powerful conversation with Stephanie Big Eagle—traditional handpoke tattoo artist, cultural bearer, and author of Thunderbird Rising. Of Lakota and Dakota ancestry on her father’s side, and Nordic and Haudenosaunee lineage on her mother’s, Stephanie walks the path of remembrance, revival, and reclamation.

Together, we explore the sacred role of tattooing within the Native American Nations—an ancient tradition largely disrupted by colonisation, but now rising once more through the hands of those called to remember. Stephanie shares her journey of reconnecting with these ceremonial markings, and the deep spiritual resonance they carry.

We speak on the ancestral significance of the designs, the power of the handpoke method, and the return of tattooing as an embodied prayer, a rite of passage, and a symbol of cultural survival. This is more than ink—it is the language of memory, land, and identity inscribed back into the skin.

This episode is a reverent and stirring exchange for all those drawn to the resurgence of Indigenous tattooing, and to the healing power of cultural reconnection.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephbigeagle/

Website: https://www.stephbigeagle.com www.thunderbirdrising919.com

Book: Thunderbird Rising: https://www.amazon.com/Thunderbird-Rising-Reconnection-Resilience-Empowerment/dp/1737512211/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=thunderbird+rising&qid=1635197592&qsid=141-0253157-8127214&sr=8-1&sres=1737512211%2CB098LQWS8R%2CB097CGVXGZ%2C0913056049%2CB08ZQ8K6KH%2CB07M8P5VF2%2CB098DR4V76%2CB07QCQNKG7%2CB06WVFMYWT%2CB00SARHPKS%2CB084PV952N%2CB08D1XX766%2CB000OOKJ58%2CB00DOTL5EE%2CB08L6W3W63%2CB094SYV22L

Contact Shane... shanetattooer@gmail.com

Website: ancestortattoo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanetattooer/

Title music: Ngā Tai Tawhito, Kiki Pounamu https://smarturl.it/kikipounamu

(Part 2): In this expansive and deeply personal episode, we journey into the power of ancestral connection and how it lives within us—through our blood, our bones, and the markings we choose to carry. Shane explores how tattooing, when rooted in cultural memory, becomes a sacred act of remembering, a way to honour lineage, and a tool for healing inherited wounds.

You’ll hear stories of personal awakening, intuitive downloads, and encounters with ancestral guides—alongside the long path of reclaiming identity after centuries of disconnection. From the impact of colonisation on Western ancestral reverence to the resurgence of indigenous tattoo traditions around the world, this episode traces how we begin to mend what has been broken.

Shane shares how ancestral connection can awaken intuitive gifts and open access to the deeper realms of knowing—through dreams, symbols, and the subtle language of divination. He speaks to the importance of connecting only with well ancestors, the dangers of unfiltered ancestor work, and the vital need to acknowledge all of one’s heritage—especially for those of mixed lineage.

We also explore epigenetics, shadow work, and the role of sacred markings in cultural revival and spiritual transformation.

This episode is an offering to those who are seeking their roots, healing their bloodlines, and remembering who they truly are. A powerful listen for anyone called to represent their ancestors through sacred tattooing and walk the path of intuitive remembering.

Contact Shane... shanetattooer@gmail.com

Website: ancestortattoo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanetattooer/

Title music: Ngā Tai Tawhito, Kiki Pounamu https://smarturl.it/kikipounamu

(Part 1): In this expansive and deeply personal episode, we journey into the power of ancestral connection and how it lives within us—through our blood, our bones, and the markings we choose to carry. Shane explores how tattooing, when rooted in cultural memory, becomes a sacred act of remembering, a way to honour lineage, and a tool for healing inherited wounds.

You’ll hear stories of personal awakening, intuitive downloads, and encounters with ancestral guides—alongside the long path of reclaiming identity after centuries of disconnection. From the impact of colonisation on Western ancestral reverence to the resurgence of indigenous tattoo traditions around the world, this episode traces how we begin to mend what has been broken.

Shane shares how ancestral connection can awaken intuitive gifts and open access to the deeper realms of knowing—through dreams, symbols, and the subtle language of divination. He speaks to the importance of connecting only with well ancestors, the dangers of unfiltered ancestor work, and the vital need to acknowledge all of one’s heritage—especially for those of mixed lineage.

We also explore epigenetics, shadow work, and the role of sacred markings in cultural revival and spiritual transformation.

This episode is an offering to those who are seeking their roots, healing their bloodlines, and remembering who they truly are. A powerful listen for anyone called to represent their ancestors through sacred tattooing and walk the path of intuitive remembering.

Contact Shane... shanetattooer@gmail.com

Website: ancestortattoo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanetattooer/

Title music: Ngā Tai Tawhito, Kiki Pounamu https://smarturl.it/kikipounamu

In this intimate episode, I sit down with master carver and renowned Tā Moko artist Gordon Toi, recorded at his private studio and home in Mapua, in the South Island of Aotearoa. Together, we explore the ancestral origins, symbolism, and spiritual power of traditional Māori tattooing.

Gordon shares deep insights into the meaning held within the lines of Tā Moko—how they map the journey of one’s life, lineage, and belonging. As one of the most respected living practitioners of Pūhoro, he speaks to its sacred role as a rite of passage and a continual thread of connection to the ancestors.

We also touch on the mysterious carved texture of facial moko found on the ancestors—markings so precise and detailed that they hint at an ancient technology or knowledge still not fully understood today. Gordon offers reflections on the sacred responsibility of carrying this art forward, and the vital role Tā Moko plays in cultural healing, identity, and the revival of indigenous wisdom.

This is a powerful and grounding conversation with one of the great holders of Māori tattoo tradition—a must-listen for anyone called to the deeper currents beneath the skin.

Gordon Toi:https://www.instagram.com/gtoinative/

Contact Shane... ancestortattoo@gmail.com

Website: ancestortattoo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanetattooer/

Title music: Ngā Tai Tawhito, Kiki Pounamu https://smarturl.it/kikipounamu

In this deeply personal and powerful episode, we explore the sacred relationship between tattooing and ancestral connection—how the markings we wear can become conduits of remembrance, healing, and reclamation.

We speak to the spiritual truth that your ancestors are not gone—they are within your blood, bones, and DNA, and they are waiting to be acknowledged, honoured, and welcomed into your life. Through the act of ancestral tattooing, we open the door to this connection and embody it in living form.

Together, we journey through:

• The energetic presence of ancestors in our cells and spirit

• How ancestral trauma is passed through epigenetic memory, and how conscious reconnection brings healing

• The revival of cultural tattoo practices as acts of resistance, restoration, and sacred continuity

• The role of tattooing in initiating identity, restoring lineage dignity, and ending generational silence

• The importance of calling in only the “well ancestors”, and assisting in healing those who remain fractured

• Reclaiming lost European tribal tattoo practices and honouring multicultural lineages with integrity

• How marking the skin with ancestral symbols becomes an act of deep reverence, activation, and transformation

This episode is a call to all those who feel the pull to remember where they come from. To honour the ones who walked before. To reclaim a sense of rooted belonging in a time of mass disconnection.

Tattooing is not just personal expression—it can be ancestral invocation.

You are the current bearer of your bloodline.

You are the voice of those who came before you.

And what you do now echoes both backward and forward across time.

Contact Shane... shanetattooer@gmail.com

Website: https://www.ancestortattoo.com

Instagram: shanetattooer https://www.instagram.com/shanetattooer/

Title music: Ngā Tai Tawhito, Kiki Pounamu https://smarturl.it/kikipounamu

In this episode, I sit down with my good friend and master practitioner of traditional Māori tattooing, Turumakina Duley. Together, we explore the sacred art of Tā Moko—its ancient origins, its ceremonial nature, and the powerful stories embedded in each pattern and design.

Tu shares the rich whakapapa of this revered practice, guiding us through the rituals that accompany the receiving of these ancestral markings and the deep connection they offer to identity, belonging, and lineage. We speak about Tā Moko as a living bridge—one that connects the past to the present, healing personal and cultural traumas along the way.

From the traditional tools and pigments to the myths and legends that shaped the practice, Tu takes us on a journey through time and spirit. We also discuss the global relevance of this revival, and how Tā Moko now stands as a beacon for other cultures seeking to reconnect with their own ancestral tattoo traditions.

This episode is rich with wisdom, reverence, and deep remembering—an essential listen for anyone drawn to the power of tattoo as sacred ceremony.

Turumakina Duley: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tu_moko/

Website: https://www.artselemental.com

Contact Shane... shanetattooer@gmail.com

Website: ancestortattoo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanetattooer/

Title music: Ngā Tai Tawhito, Kiki Pounamu https://smarturl.it/kikipounamu

In this episode, we go deeper into the energetic technology behind tattooing—specifically, how energy can be imprinted, programmed, and transmitted into the lines, shapes, and pigment of a tattoo through conscious intention, ritual, and resonance.

Building upon our previous discussion on resonance, we explore:

• The power of intentional imprinting during the tattoo process

• How emotions, thoughts, blessings, and environment leave an energetic signature in a design

• The science and mysticism of energy memory, psychometry, and vibrational imprint

• The teachings of Dr. Masaru Emoto and how water—and ink—responds to intention

• Ancient methods for infusing tattoos, weapons, and sacred objects with spiritual energy

• How to ensure your tattoo resonates with your purpose, healing, and higher self

• Why the energetic state of the tattooist and the space matters deeply

• Ways we can use tattoos as a tool to restore resonance between humans, Earth, and cosmos

We also touch on the need for conscious alignment in a world saturated with manipulative resonance—from media, advertising, and systems designed to pull us away from our true frequency.

This episode is a reminder of your sovereign power to program, create, and resonate—through every mark, every word, every act of sacred intention.

Your tattoo is not just a memory.

It is a vibrational transmission, a frequency, and a living prayer.

Contact Shane... shanetattooer@gmail.com

Website: ancestortattoo.com

Instagram: @shanetattooer

Title music: Ngā Tai Tawhito, Kiki Pounamu https://smarturl.it/kikipounamu