Sometimes it takes a trip across the globe to obtain that fresh perspective. This happened to Jake Myhal, a social media and marketing employee at New Damage Records. In 2014, an 18 year old Myhal took a trip from his hometown of Uxbridge, ON to Kenya and Tanzania with his uncles. During his trip in Africa, Myhal spent much of his time with the Maasai tribes learning about their culture. The trip was featured on CTV’s Canada AM where Myhal and his uncle, Loren Christie, answered questions about the trip. Myhal sat down with Matt from Thieves of Fashion to talk about why he got spacers, being nicknamed "the White Maasai" and his opinions on culturally influenced tattoos.
Photo courtesy of WikiCommons
Ear stretching (or spacing) is an ancient body modification technique dating back thousands of years. The modern process involves a gradual stretching of the earlobe by increasing the size of the tapered piercing in a person's ear. In recent decades, spacers have become popular in punk and hardcore music scenes across the globe. But where did the practice of ear stretching originate?
One of the cultures that originated ear stretching was the Maasai tribes of Kenya. The Maasai stretching process is quite different from the modern version; this includes cutting the ear cartilage with a knife and soldering it with a hot rod. Spacers are a large part of Maasai culture and can mean a number of things, including wisdom. It is clear that regardless of your knowledge, some will never approve of cultural appropriation, however, it’s never bad to get a fresh perspective.
The "White Maasai"
An Maasai spacer.
Photos used in video courtesy of Jake Myhal.