Tattoo anthropologist Lars Krutak photographed himself with Jaime Alos (of Dananao village) who is one of the last Kalinga warriors to have fought against the Japanese during the World War II.

Tattoos are more than just bodily designs perceived as art by rockers and fashionistas. However, it takes a real tattoo hunter to witness how indigenous people take tattooing as a sacred tradition. That is what anthropologist Lars Krutak will show TV viewers in an in-depth documentary on ancient body modification rituals.

Simply called “Tattoo Hunter: Philippines,” the special showcase, to premiere on Discovery Channel this Jan. 18, 11 p.m., should be a fascinating offer for tattoo enthusiasts as it “seeks to understand the meaning behind such sacred traditions dating back to thousands of years.” Traveling around the world, the acclaimed documentarist has immersed himself into the daily life of warriors, cannibals, and head-hunters to get into the bottom of things.

In the episode that captures tribal life in the Philippines, Krutak goes to the country’s remote mountains to study the tattoo tradition of Kalinga head-hunters.

The American Book Award holder revealed, “The Kalinga (people) are no longer headhunters and even though this practice ended long ago, there still remains a warrior tradition in Kalinga. Men had to earn the right to be tattooed. An individual had to learn how to farm, hunt, and protect his family in times of warfare.”

“I ultimately had to learn all of these aspects of Kalinga life before I was allowed to be given a beautiful tattoo (batok). It was certainly a humbling, physically demanding, and educational experience, and one that I will never forget. After all, my tattoo will always be a permanent reminder of my time and experiences with the Kalinga who so graciously opened their homes and hearts to me so that I could learn how tattooing was so deeply tied to their sense of cultural identity and traditions.”

Krutak had his graduate studies in anthropology at the University of Alaska (Fairbanks, AK) in 1996. Through the help of grant proposals he began his first tattoo Anthropology project the following year.

Through the “Tattoo Hunter” series, people are provided good access to unique tribal body modification practices in Africa, Asia, Oceania, North and South America. The host’s personal experiences with tattoo and scarification masters (who cut and tattoo his skin) embraces the essence of indigenous identity, religion, and cosmology in remote areas.

“Tattooing is a mark of identity,” Krutak shared, “and until you carry these permanent reminders on your body I don’t think you can truly understand what ‘makes’ the people who wear them. It’s a shared process of pain, recuperation, and personal memory of the event.”

Encores of “Tattoo Hunter: Philippines” will be on Jan. 19 (9 a.m. and 3 p.m.), Jan. 20 (5 a.m.) and Jan. 23 (9 p.m.).