Abstract

Lane Wilcken is a scholar, cultural tattoo practitioner and advocate for the critically endangered cultural practice commonly known as “batok" or the cultural tattoos of the Philippines. He also has studied other related indigenous traditions of the Philippines and greater Pacific with over three decades of research and experience. His mother is from the Philippines and his father is of English and Scandinavian descent. Lane is the author of "Filipino Tattoos Ancient to Modern" -and- "The Forgotten Children of Maui." He is also a contributing writer to "Back from the Crocodile's Belly: Philippine Babaylan Studies and the Struggle for Indigenous Memory" and "Shamanic Transformations: True Stories of the Moment of Awakening," as well as several articles for various magazines and journals.