For some tribes tattooing was a path to social status. The Maori tribe was one among them. The Maoris were a tribe of New Zealand and tribal tattoos let them ride the ladder of social status. Their tattoos were known as Moko designs. But Moko designs were not only used for social status, it was also used for health purposes. They believed that by tattooing Moko designs on their skin they can preserve their youth. That is why women of Maori used to tattoo their lips and chins. An old story says when an old woman started losing her eyesight; she tattooed her hands and face in order to gain back her eyesight.
In Hawaii, the inhabitants had their own tattoo God, temples for tattoo Gods and also tattoo priests. Before starting a tattooing session they used to pray to the tattoo God to make the process less painful, so that the person upon whom the tattoo is done doesn't die and the wounds heal as fast as possible and they also pray for design to be beautiful.
