A 37-year-old mother of four living in Auckland, New Zealand, was presenting a noon news coverage as early as 2019, and now she has received an even more prestigious award in presenting the evening news.
“It’s exciting and I enjoy it to the fullest. It’s a step forward for me again and I’m proud of where I got to, “said Kaipara, whose chin is adorned with the traditional Moko Kauae tattoo, which is typical of Maori women.
Oriini Kaipara makes history by becoming the first person with a Maori face tattoo to present a news programme.
The lower chin tattoo is called ‘moko kauae’ and is worn by Maori women in New Zealand pic.twitter.com/EpKW3VsmCA
— TRT World (@trtworld) December 30, 2021
“Of course, I’m aware that I’m the first woman to appear on chin tattoos in prime time. It is for us Maori to break other boundaries. I now see my every move as a responsibility, ”says the woman, whose DNA tests in 2017 confirmed 100% Maori origin.
Moko kauae tattoos are a traditional ritual for Maori women. Maorek usually appears on the faces when she passes from a girl to a woman and symbolizes the process of personal transformation.
Kaipara has long been proud of her origins, wearing moko kauae on her face since 2019 and being a popular journalist in New Zealand.
It also promotes the revival of Maori customs, which missionaries were sometimes called pagan. “I have the opportunity to appear on screens and speak to hundreds of thousands of people every day. I definitely don’t take it lightly, “added Kaipara, a Stuffer who added to the evening news for the New Zealand server.
