Kiwi Woman Makes History As First Māori News Presenter With Traditional Chin Tattoo

A member of the Māori people made history last week as the first member of an indigenous group in New Zealand to present the news in primetime while adorned with a traditional facial tattoo.

Oriini Kaipara anchored the 6 p.m. hour of Newshub Live on Christmas Day, making history as the first to present primetime news while having the moko kauae, a chin tattoo for Māori women.

“I’m very much aware that I’m the first [with moko kauae] to anchor a six o’clock primetime news bulletin,” she told Newshub, according to USA Today.

Kaipara discovered in 2017, following a DNA test, that she was 98 percent Māori, according to The Telegraph.

“In New Zealand, many believed there are no full-blood Māori left. It’s often been used by critics of Māori who seek equal rights and sovereignty. My results, at least, show there is one full-blooded Māori contrary to that belief,” she told the outlet.

Kaipara made history in 2019 as the first Māori woman with the tattoo to anchor a mainstream TV news program, according to Newshub’s website.

Kaipara’s typical schedule consists of anchoring Newshub Live at 11:30 am and 4:30 pm, according to the outlet’s website, which states that she is “renowned for her ability to converse fluently in Māori and English” and is “well-respected for her approach to issues of significance to Māori that help shape a positive bicultural New Zealand society.”