On Monday December 27th, Oriini Kaipara read the news bulletin whilst donning a cultural Māori face tattoo.
She was filling in for the usual hosts, and in the process made history. The 37-year-old’s chin tattoo is traditionally worn by Māori women and is called a moko kauae.
It had always been her lifelong dream to read the news sporing it, she revealed, after having gotten the ink in 2017 after discovering she was 100% Māori via a DNA test.
Kaipara noted how exciting it was and how much she was enjoying being the first woman to have a Māori face tattoo on a primetime news bulletin. ‘It’s definitely a step forward, and a step -up’ she said.
‘It’s also a big win for this generation and the next 10 generations – don’t let identity or your culture hold you back from anything. In fact, you use it as your power, to be greater and do great things for everyone.’
‘It’s breaking new ground for us as Māori, but also for people of colour. Whether you’ve got a moko kauae or not’ she concluded. She is set to read the news on Newshub Live until Thursday 30th.
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Photo Source: Sportskeeda