New Zealand newsreader Oriini Kaipara made history on Monday when she became the first person with a traditional face tattoo to anchor a primetime news broadcast.
Kaipara’s chin is adorned with an ethnic lower chin tattoo worn by Māori women called a “moko kauae.” Kaipara decided to get the chin tattoo after a 2017 DNA test revealed she was 100% Māori.
The moko kauae is considered a physical manifestation of their true identity. According to the Māori culture, the woman wears a moko on the inside, close to their heart. When they are ready, the tattoo artist then brings it out to the surface. The moko was widely considered a rite of passage between girl and adulthood.
The facial moko became far less common after European settlement from 1642 onward. A 2013 survey by Statistics New Zealand found 15% of “tangata whenua” (people of the land) had some form of tā moko (tattoo) or traditional Māori tattoo.
“It’s definitely a step forward, and a step-up. If there was a goal for me, it would be anchoring prime time news, and that’s happened,” she told Stuff. “It’s really exciting. I’m really enjoying it. I’m not speechless, but it’s a buzz. I am proud of how far I’ve come in being able to anchor 6 pm right now. It’s definitely a step forward, and a step-up. If there was a goal for me, it would be anchoring prime time news, and that’s happened.”
Kaipara has made history before.
In 2019, she became the first person with a moko kauae to present on mainstream television.
Kaipara is currently standing in for original hosts Sam Hayes, who is currently on maternity leave, and Mike McRoberts. She previously worked for Māori TV and radio before and is of Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Rangitihi descent.
