Māori news anchor becomes first woman in New Zealand to present with traditional chin tattoo
A reporter in New Zealand has become the first person to present a prime time news programme with a traditional MÄori chin tattoo.
Oriini Kaipara, 37, presented Newshub Live at 6pm this week with a moko kauae – a traditional tattoo worn by MÄori women.
The mother-of-four, from Auckland, said presenting the show had fulfilled a life-long dream and she hoped it would encourage other MÄori women to enter the industry.
“I’m very much aware that I’m the first [with moko kauae] to anchor a six o’clock primetime news bulletin,” she told local media.
“That is always at the back of my mind, that every step I make is like breaking through a glass ceiling.
“It’s breaking new ground for us as MÄori, but also for people of colour. Whether you’ve got a moko kauae or not.”
Ms Kaipara has previously worked on MÄori Television and broadcasting with Mai FM.
A DNA test in 2017 revealed her ancestry was 98 per cent Maori, with the remaining two per cent unclear.
Writing after the test, she said “being Maori is so much more than blood quantum”.
“In New Zealand, many believed there are no full-blood MÄori left. It’s often been used by critics of MÄori who seek equal rights and sovereignty,” she wrote.
“My results, at least, show there is one full-blooded MÄori contrary to that belief.
“I believe there are more full-blooded MÄori, they just haven’t done a DNA test. For me, being MÄori is a way of life. I was born and bred in a MÄori world where reo (language) and tikanga (traditions) were embedded in us.”
Some New Zealanders with indigenous MÄori heritage wear tattoos on their face or arms that represent their genealogy and are culturally sacred.
The tattoos, known as ‘TÄ Moko’ are a deeply sacred expression of cultural identity.