Oriini Kaipara, a New Zealand based journalist, recently made
history by becoming the first anchor to sport a Māori face tattoo during a prime-time broadcast. On Monday, the 37-year-old newsreader read the Newshub Live 6pm news
bulletin with a striking face tattoo on camera. As her pictures went viral over
the internet, many internet users lauded the journalist for representing the
indigenous community.
The
lower chin tattoo, often known as a ‘moko kauae’, is a permanent tattoo that
signifies a Māori woman’s leadership, service and stature in the family and
community. It marks the transformation of a girl going into adulthood and
embracing womanhood.
After getting a DNA
test in 2017 that proved her 100% Māori ethnicity, Kaipara often flaunted her
tattoo during afternoon bulletins and garnered thousands of followers on her
social media handles. On leaving TVNZ to join Three, a television channel,
Kaipara took up the role of being the permanent newsreader on Newshub Live at
4.30pm.
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According
to 9 News, Kaipara also fills in for the late-night news as well.
Kaipara, who is
bilingual, often speaks English and Te Reo on her news programs. Te Reo is a
popular language spoken by the Māori community.
The
37-year-old belongs to the Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Rangitihi
descent.
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In a statement,
Kaipara told NZ Herald about how she looks forward to using her voice and
amplifying other voices who speak in the interest of Māori issues. She added
that she believes she is not on this journey alone, and many people will
support her in representing and uplifting her ethnic community.
On her recent
prime-time success, Kaipara added, “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 6pm 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 joined
Discovery Network in May, and works as a journalist in Newshub, a company owned
by Discovery Network. The New Zealand-based journalist has amassed more than 16,000 followers on
Instagram.
