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
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.”