Striking Native Indian tattoos for men give many natives the chance to wear their culture proudly, often literally, on their sleeve. Even non-Natives who identify with certain aspects of the Indian culture have been ornamenting their bodies with symbols that are meaningful to them.
While tattoos are generally fashion statements, the wonderful thing about native Indian tattoos for men is that they connect you with your community and heritage. If you’re a non-Native, such a tattoo can connect you with an ancient civilization or tribe that captures your imagination.
Common tattoo designs include chieftains with elaborate feathered headpieces, dream catchers, ornamented arrows, beautiful Indian women, animals that are significant in Indian culture and more. These tattoos can be full-back, arm-length, wrist-size or even go on your shoulder, the nape of your neck and elsewhere.
Common Native Indian Tattoo Ideas and Their Meanings
There are many common Indian symbols that you can wear as is. Or you can ask the tattoo artist to incorporate several symbols together into a beautiful whole.
The arrow, with simple or elaborate arrowheads, is a popular design choice for men as well as women. Rather than having negative connotations, the arrow symbolizes protection and defense, so it is seen as a talisman. Elaborate arrowheads, on the other hand, symbolize alertness, which is necessary to keep yourself protected.
The bear is a wonderful animal to stylize into a tattoo. It is a symbol for courage, leadership and physical strength. In some cases, it was even a symbol for great love. Many tribes consider the bear to be a manifestation of the “Great Spirit”.
The Bird Man is a hawk-like figure that is believed to bring up the sun from the Beneath World every dawn. This divine figure associated with everlasting life can also be adapted into tattoos with powerful meaning. The Morning Star, which seems to be a symbol associated with the Birdman, is another popular abstract tattoo inspiration.
The Eagle is a bird that symbolizes courage, strength and wisdom. It is greatly revered by the Indians and offers many fantastic design interpretations by skillful tattoo artists.
The Crow, considered to be one of the wisest birds, is another popular subject for tattoos. Crows are considered lucky in most Native American tribes. The Hopi believe in a Crow Mother divinity. There are stories of Manaka’has the Rainbow Crow and even a mythology in which the Crow was believed to be the only animal that survived the Great Flood.
Besides arrows and the Morning Star, there are some abstract symbols that can also make meaningful Indian tattoo for men. These include cross symbols, which are a representation of the forces of the earth and their origins. A cross inside a circle represents the Sacred Four elements – Air, Fire, Earth and Water. There are several circle symbols that represents all the various cycles in Indian mythology including the cycle of life and death and that of the four seasons.
There are tons of other Indian symbols, figures and spirits that can provide inspiration for both simple and elaborate tattoos, in the hands of a creative artist. Which of these symbols is the most meaningful for you?
Check out the best indian tattoos for men
Any guy would display a sound sense of leadership with this Indian tattoo. The stunning display of color splashing his headdress and collar contrasts the solemn look on his face perfectly. Red accents along the feather tips, clothing and forehead help make the image really pop into reality!
Age is but a number for this chieftain as he displays a stern look that moves with you like a Mona Lisa painting. Couple this with his ferocious bear skull headdress with its flowing bed of fur and you have yourself a dynamic piece of art. This, is what Indian tattoos are supposed to look like.
One of the indian tattoos for guys that are stern but stunning beauty features a monochrome palette to put your focus on her phenomenal features. Lose yourself between her luscious lips and the deep ocean that is her eyes. Take a small dip but don’t stare or else you might just drown.
A lesson in patience. This chieftain exudes wisdom after witnessing many lifetimes flow before him. Stare at the image long enough and you too would expect him to share a nugget of his experiences. Oh, the stories he must tell.
Now this Indian tattoos idea is a lesson in poetry. The single drop of blood on the deceased chieftain’s face is accentuated artistically by the winding trail of fire as it marks its road behind the mask. Attention to detail in design and story is perfection.
It’s not often you come across such a vibrant tattoo. This headdress is heavily inspired by watercolor art while still maintaining incredible detail in its construct. If you’re into trying something a little different while still being tasteful, consider this piece of abstract art.
This Indian tattoo design features an incredible amount of bone jewelry. I just can’t seem to take my eyes off of it… probably because his piercing gaze rivals that of the bald eagle flying above. Whatever the case, I do know one thing- I’d hate to be whoever he is angry at.
I’m a sucker for wolves in Indian tattoo ideas, but this one surely takes it a step further. The wolf’s howl resonates into the thick forest and blends into the chieftain’s features, accentuating his wisdom as if he is one with the trees. Truly a cool concept.
It takes a true man to display such a bold indian tattoos for men proudly on his chest like this. Almost like a construction of individual pieces, the vibrant eagle comes together remarkably and shines like a sun god captured in time.
I call this one “Soaring Eagle”. Such an intense level of stillness achieved that would probably be maintained if he were brought to life. Having attained peace, I can only imagine his mind soaring through the winds into infinity.
The detail in the highest of quality. The beautiful symmetry of the stallion in both foreground and background speaks volumes of the Indian warrior resting between them in harmony. This design was carefully thought out and wonderfully executed.
Lines on the face of a man are like creases in a storybook. For each line, a page of wisdom. When such detail accompanies art of this nature, it makes me stop in awe and wonder. This indian tattoos for men is a true masterpiece.
This Indian tattoo for guys, speaks of a warrior’s history steeped in war and violence.With his spear, forever at the ready, he is prepared for battle even after death. All that remains is his weapon and the pride upon his head. What a vicious work of art.
Similar to the previous tattoo idea for guys, this also features a skull in headdress but with more focus on the palette than its story. The use of primary colors explodes as your eyes buzz from feathers of red and blue to golden yellow accents scattered upon the ribbon.
Serving as a memento to American history, this tattoo idea places the tribe chief in a prideful forefront display against the backdrop of the star-spangled banner. Aside from the sentiment evoked by the image, incredible care was put into every wrinkle of detail to make for an incredible design.
We’ve definitely returned to the valley of death with this image. From its weathered frame to the haunted haze floating behind, there’s a morbid curiosity to this skull that you just can’t shake.
Where do I even start? The wolf holding firm with a sparkling snarl and courageous mane of fur? The impeccable representation of life and death mirrored on either side? There’s so much to love about this image I’ll just have to go with both.
Here we have a younger warrior ascending into manhood as he wears the pelt of his first hunt. The look in his eyes makes you think he took more than just the bear’s life, but also his ferocity. Definitely a powerful tattoo idea.
Height in Indian culture is a strong symbol of beauty. This tat is no exception as her gorgeous neck stretches for miles upon the canvas. The equally long and vibrant headpiece only makes her beauty all the more appetizing.
Yet another work in symmetry, the father reflects on his daughter on opposing sides of the enraged animal skull, separating the two distinct generations. This tattoo brilliantly speaks on both chaos and harmony.
Among the tattoo ideas for men we’ve seen so far, this one stands out a truly gorgeous. This boisterous beauty blindly dances in the wind as her loose hair follows. You can tell how much fun she’s having by her untidy feathers. Makes me wonder if I could steal a dance from her.
You could almost feel her warm breath against your skin. Her adornments and perfect bone structure give her a sense of serenity that’s almost magnetic. You can tell by her eyes that she’s as carefree as the feathered creature flying below.
Fierce. That’s what this says to me. The artist choosing to interlace her headdress with thin black string gives her peaceful image a certain primal atmosphere. It’s almost as if she’ll break free of her bondage when her eyes open and bring her to life.
What a sick skull. The savage striped design in bloody red and black pierces your mind with the imagery of how it came to be. Poor guy seems to be missing a couple of his teeth too. I wonder how violent the encounter really was?
One of the tattoos ideas that classically represent two generations once again in discourse and harmony simultaneously. You can cut the tension in the air with a knife as if it were floating like mist between the two.
The simple dreamcatcher tattoo incorporates beads, feathers, and spider webs to form an intricate design pattern. This dream catcher pairs symmetry and asymmetry to create an interesting human-like shape. Though simple, its elaborate features make it very interesting.
This full back tattoo pays homage to traditional Indian tattoos that were generally large and took up large portions of the body. This tattoo has a side-facing traditional Indian man, but focuses on the traditional headdress with bold feathers and intricate detailing. It has an arrowhead, a symbol of protection and detailed neck accessories and clothing.
This full sleeve tattoo is of an old Indian man wearing the traditional headdress, hair braid, and neck ornaments. The main focus in this tattoo is his face. Using fine line styling, it depicts very intricate and delicate features of his face especially his eyes and his mouth.
This tattoo is an Indian Chief in full regalia. This tattoo contains detailed craftwork such as the beaded neck ornaments, the belt, and the war bonnet. The depicted warrior even has tattoos ideas. This is a very detailed portrait style tattoo. Its placement on the side of the torso gives it a lot of room and enables fine detailing.
This underarm tattoo is also an Indian warrior, but with a background full of symbols and female companion. The details in the background help to create elegant lines that shape the two people. It has traces of the stippling technique to create the fine details.
The Indian war bonnet is a fascinating piece. This tattoo is a simple and beautiful colored depiction of the headdress. It has an earpiece and a patterned front. The skull wearing it is a symbolic representation of the ways in which various aspects of the Indian culture are lost.
This colored chest tattoo is that of the head of an Indian man. Its main focus is the headdress and the man’s face. The color brings out very intricate facial features. The color also brings out the beads and headdress craftwork. Two hallmark depictions of the Indian culture.
Pairing the popular Indian man in a headdress with a lion, this upper arm tattoo is all about bravery. The lion over the headdress is both symbolic and artistic capturing the pride, ferocity, and fearless bravery that deemed the lion a central figure in the Indian culture.
This sleeve tattoo is an illustration of the popular skull combined with the headdress. The color combination creates a flaming illusion in the headdress. It has a ribbon in the jaw region of the skull where there are words in a graffiti style.
A twist on the dream catcher, this bone-filled indian tattoo for men is a true artistic homage to the Indian culture. The animal skull’s horns appear tethered to the skin with hooks. The bone passing through the eyes holds detailed dream catchers on either side and the colored symbol in the middle has intricate detailing and patterns.
This tattoo has a dark background and covers almost the entire length of the arm. It has an old Indian man, focusing on his facial features in intricate detail. It is very artistic and intricately detailed to create an almost photographic image.
This upper arm tattoo is both symbolic and detailed to an almost photographic level. The old Indian man’s face is half alive and half dead – to symbolize the ways in which the Indian culture has changed. This tattoo is perfect for the upper arm and is hauntingly beautiful.
This tattoo is full of symbols. It’s colored red, blue and black, and has several face-like features. It is a symmetrical artistic combination of symbols. It has the bear track, a good omen among other symbols artistically entwined to create an amazing upper arm Indian tattoo idea for men.
This black background tattoo is perfect for the back shoulder. It captures the traditional Indian man and woman. The background depicts the old environment in which they used to live. So, this tattoo is an artistic depiction of the people and their lives.
This is one of the best tattoo ideas for men. It’s a group of traditional Indians during a festival. It’s ideal for the back as it holds both a cultural significance and an artistic representation of the Indian cultural events. It is a very detailed tattoo, with plenty of characters.
A great Indian tattoos idea for men is a calf design. This particular one is that of an Indian man in a headdress, but it uses the stippling technique using dots and specks instead of lines to achieve very realistic detailed work. It has deep black hues to create the very intricate patterns in the beadwork.
Another calf tattoo is a colored one. The skull, a popular feature in tattoos, wears a detailed headdress. This tattoos is perfect because it takes the shape of the calf which contributes to its size. The beadwork is very well detailed and the flesh-colored line in the headdress makes it hauntingly appealing.
This back tattoo is a depiction of a battle between a traditional Indian man and a snake. It has several details like plants, clouds, and a tree. It’s very artistic because it draws the eye to look for all the elements in it. It’s also great for sneaking in meaningful symbols and patterns.
This color intensive tattoo has a blue background and three significant figures in the Indian culture. It has a woman facing a roaring lion and a bird between them symbolizing peace. It has both a message and very detailed artwork almost like an animated piece of work.
Combining the elements of a beautiful woman wearing a war bonnet and capturing detailed features of her facial expression, this is one of the best tattoo ideas for men. It is both hauntingly beautiful and captures the intricate feathers and beadwork in the famous headdress.
This is a great diagonally placed tattoo. It has feather elements, a jawbone weapon, and the hogan symbol – a sign of a permanent home in it. It subtly represents the Indian culture in several ways. Though a tattoo, it looks like a weapon holder hanging from the back.
This is another great arm tattoo. It has a detailed face created using the fine line technique combined with the stippling technique. It is colored and therefore captures details in the headdress symbols and brings out the feather details perfectly.
This whale is a simple tattoo combining black and colored elements that capture Indian symbols. The artist combines the symbols to form the shape of a whale seamlessly. It uses the fine line technique and shades through. It’s a subtle understated way to have an Indian tattoo design.
The circle is a common shape in the Indian culture. Therefore, this colored tattoo manages to use the circle and fine line technique to capture detailed facial features as well as the background of the North American landscape. It is simple chest tattoo idea for men.
Combining the skull, horns and the Indian war bonnet, this full chest tattoo is very elaborate. It uses color, shading, and lines to create a hauntingly beautiful piece of art. This is one of the bold Indian tattoos for guys.
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