New Zealand Journalist Makes History, First news Anchor With Maori Face Tattoo

You'd never see a news anchor with a tattoo on her face. However, this 37-year-old New Zealander has made history as the first prime-time newsreader with a traditional Maori stylish tattoo.

Oriini Kaipara, 37 year old, read the Newshub Live's 6pm news bulletin with traditional facial markings. Kaipara was notable for sporting a tattoo on her lower chin, which is often worn by indigenous Maori women. The tattoo is called moko kauae, and it represents a personal transformation and signifies the passage from girl to adulthood. Kaipara claimed that she got the tattoo after a DNA test confirmed that she was 100% Māori.

"I was really elated. I was over the moon. It's a huge honor. I don't know how to deal with the emotions," Kaipara told CNN about the moment she realised she would be covering primetime slot. On her Instagram account, the journalist posted several photos and videos from her first day as a prime-time news anchor. Her images went viral, and the moment gained a lot of attention online, with many people praising her as an inspiration.

Kaipara says, she is committed to protect Maori traditions and preserving the language. She also claims that having a mainstream media presence is groundbreaking not only for her culture, but for all people of colour.

Kaipara got this tattoo inked on her chin in 2019 after she got to know through a DNA test that she was 100 per cent Māori in 2017.

We sincerely hope that she inspires other women of other ethnicities to rise to the top and break traditional stereotypes by working in mainstream jobs.