The show Tattoo Highway is a new reality show starring tattoo artist Thomas Pendelton (of Inked fame), as he travels the country in a 1970s tour bus-made-mobile tattoo studio. Week after week he travels to different towns small and big and creates unique tattoo stories.

A recent episode featured Paulo Veltri, a Native American of Apache decent from Silver City, New Mexico. Veltri is very proud of his bloodline which goes all the way back to the legendary Geronimo. In the episode, he and his mother take Pendelton and crew on a tour of the Apache land where he lives before Pendelton tattoos him. Veltri chose a tattoo that was meaningful to him: he had Mountain Spirit Dancers inked on his arm.

I had an opportunity to talk to him about the experience:

1. How did you get the job on the tattoo highway?
A friend received a call from the local Chamber of Commerce asking if he would be interested in doing an episode on a new tattoo series involving Native Americans. He in turn called me up, asking if I wanted to help out. As it turns out, I am the one that got the tattoo.

2. Had you heard of Thomas Pendelton before?
I only heard that he had a series before and that he is a very talented Artist; so I was excited to meet him.

3. What was it like getting tattooed on camera? Were you afraid you'd look foolish?
Since I had never been in front of a camera, I wasn't sure what to do but they told me to just act as if the cameras weren't there. After that it was easy and didn't feel silly at all.

4. Tell me a little about your Indian heritage (history).
I was born in Sacaton Ariz. on the Gila River Reservation. I am Akimel O'odham (Pima) and Fort Sill Band of Chiricahua Apache.

5. Why is it important to you that this tattoo honored your heritage?
I wanted a tattoo that has an important meaning and since The Mountain Spirit Dancers have powerful medicine for our people, I felt it has great representation of who I am and where I come from. It is the Apache side of me.

6. What was the best part about being on the show and filming it?
We did a preparation ceremony I guess you would call it and had Thomas and his wife, Tommy and KJ the Other Tattoo artists, and the crew take part in it. We did the ceremony in a lodge which excited everyone. It turned out really good.

7. Do you plan on getting anymore tattoos?
I have a Medicine Wheel on my back and said that would be my only one but when this opportunity came up I couldn't pass it up. I do want another Spirit dancer on the other arm to compliment the first. Other than that, I am not sure if I will have other tattoos done.

8. What do you think of celebrities that are getting tattoos with no meaning behind them or some are even misspelled?
For me, having a tattoo should have meaning; this way years from now you can still look at it without disappointment and be proud of the artwork. I think for most people having a tattoo is just the trendy thing to do for them and they don't put much thought into it. I believe there should be a story to tell about your tattoos.

9. How long did the tattoo take?
I'm not to sure how long it took. I want to say around three or four hours. There's a lot of detail to it.

10. What has the reaction been from your native American friends and family about appearing on a main steam TV show to shine light on your heritage?
I have had all positive reaction from friends and family. My mother was right there with me and she herself ended up getting a tattoo. But you will have to find out what by watching the episode. Some of my native friends were there to help me perform the ceremony and support me while I was tattooed.