Body art and decoration have long been a custom among many cultural groups. Through research, we learned about the different types of body art and ornamentation such as permanent and non-permanent tattooing, scarification and piercings. These forms of body art and ornamentation are performed for a variety of reasons, ranging from identification purposes to religious rituals. “Skin, as a visible means of defining individual identity and cultural difference, is not only a highly elaborate concern in many cultures; it is also the subject of a vast and evolving scientific discourse in the human and social sciences” (Schildkrout, 2004). The process of ornamentation and body art is usually a painful experience, but it is a way of signifying a person's self-discovery and place in society. In this article I will explore the different aspects of body art and ornamentation in two different cultures; the Maori of New Zealand and the Yoruba of West Africa and explain the cultural significance of their art. Throughout West Africa, it is not uncommon to come across people who have scar patterns on their cheeks. The facial stripes they wear are not produced by painting or tattoos, as in many other cultures, but only by scarification. However, in his article, Orie explains that not all Yoruba have facial stripes. Okola is a term used to describe someone whose face is marked, it means "one with stripes on the face". People who do not have stripes are called oboro, or “plain, unstriped face” (Orie, 2011). Although there are many different patterns of stripes worn by the Yoruba people in West Africa, it is always both cheeks that are striped. Mostly, the stripes...... middle of paper......m it is their culture and a sacred tradition of their people. Works CitedNikora, LW, Rua, M., & Te Awekotuku, N (2007). Revival and resistance: moko in contemporary New Zealand. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 17(6), 477-489. Extracted from the EBSCOhost database. Orie, O. O. (2011). The structure and function of Yoruba facial scarification. Anthropological Linguistics, 53(1), 15-33. Extracted from the EBSCOhost database. Palmer, C. and Tano, M. L. (2004). Mokomokai: commercialization and desecration. Importance of Moko and Mokomokai in Maori culture. International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management. Retrieved from http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-PalMoko-t1-body-d1-d2.html Schildkrout, E. (2004). Register the body. Annual Review of Anthropology, 33(1), 319-344. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.