Body art and decoration have long been a custom in many cultural groups. Through research we learned about different types of body art and adornments such as permanent and non-permanent tattoos, scarifications and piercings. These forms of body art and adornment are made for a variety of reasons, ranging from identification purposes to religious rituals. “Skin, as a visible way of defining individual identity and cultural difference, is not only a highly elaborated concern in many cultures; it is also the subject of a broad and evolving academic discourse in the humanities and social sciences” (Schildkrout, 2004). The process of adornment and body art is usually a painful experience, but it is a way to signify a person's self-discovery and place in society. In this article I will explore the different aspects of body art and adornment in two different cultures; the Maori people of New Zealand and the Yoruba of West Africa and explain the cultural importance of their art. Throughout West Africa it is not uncommon to encounter people who have striped patterns of scars on their cheeks. The facial stripes they wear are not produced by paint or tattoo, like many other cultures, but only by scarification. However, in his article, Orie explains that not all Yoruba people have stripes on their faces. Okola is a term used to describe someone whose face is scarred, meaning "the 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 stripe patterns worn by the Yoruba people in West Africa, it is always both cheeks that are striped. In most cases, the stripes... in the center of the card... are their culture and a sacred tradition of their people. Works Cited Nikora, L.W., Rua, M., & Te Awekotuku, N (2007). Renewal and resistance: moko in contemporary New Zealand. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 17(6), 477-489. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.Orie, OO (2011). The structure and function of Yoruba facial scarification. Anthropological Linguistics, 53(1), 15-33. Extracted from EBSCOhost database. Palmer, C., & Tano, M. L. (2004). Mokomokai: commercialization and desacralization. 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). Body inscription. Annual Review of Anthropology, 33(1), 319-344. Extracted from EBSCOhost database.