Tattoo (Part One: The Tree)

I have two tattoos that I'm very proud of. There's a lot of meaning behind them. They both have a story that makes them come to life. The first tattoo I got was in March 2012. My mom came with me. I was really nervous but excited at the same time. It was only when the needle went off, that scary buzz, that I really got nervous. Surprisingly enough, it barely hurt. I almost fell asleep! Of course, there were some parts that were a little more painful, but it wasn't too bad. The healing process hurt more than the actual tattooing. For the first one, anyway.

This image represents where I'm from, my heritage; who I am. I was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba as a francophone. My first language is French, and I have always lived in the french neighbourhood of Winnipeg, Saint-Boniface. Though a lot of it is about pride, I also wanted to have a reminder of where I come from, so that one day, if I lose my first language, which I slowly am, I will always remember. You never know where life will take you, so I take my life with me.

The Franco-Manitoban community has its own flag. That's what my tattoo is. At first glance, it may not look anything like it, but that's for a specific reason. I didn't want to have a tattoo of a flag, or a maple leaf on myself. I wanted something a little more artistic. I kept all the elements of the flag, and "brought them to life." The red stripe represents the Red River, the yellow represents the importance of agriculture, while the green plant, designed to look like an "F" represents the very much alive and flourishing community whose roots are very deep, and the white which takes up over half of the flag represents the vastness of the prairies.

As you can see, I kept all those elements: the Red River, the field of yellow, and the tree, whose roots go in the river. I added another element, though. In the tree, there are two branches that take the shape of an "8". The 8, when horizontal represents infinity, which is also the symbol for the Metis, which I am.

As you can see, there is a lot of meaning behind this one tattoo. I took a long time to find exactly how I wanted it, where, and why. I don't think I will ever regret this decision!