A newsreader made history this week when she became the first person with a Māori face tattoo to present primetime news.
Oriini Kaipara filled in for regular hosts Sam Hayes and Mike McRoberts on Newshub's 6 PM bulletin. The Kiwi journalist is also set to become a permanent presenter for the news outlet's 4.30 PM dispatch.
After a DNA test revealed that she was 100% Māori, 37-year-old Kaipara decided to get a traditional facial tattoo in 2019.
Her moko kauae is a sacred lower chin tattoo worn by Māori women. It marks a passage between girlhood and adulthood and is a symbol of personal transformation.
In an Instagram post last week, Kaipara told her followers that she would be presenting the primetime news in a post captioned "Special announcement".
"It will be the first of many nights I will have the honor of presenting our prime news to audiences around the country and globe," she wrote.
In an interview with Stuff, the Aukland journalist said: "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 6 PM right now.”
She added that her appearance as a prime-time anchor is "breaking new ground for us as Māori, but also for people of color, whether you’ve got a moko kauae or not."
Kaipara made headlines in 2019 when she became the first person with facial tattoos to present mainstream news. Since then she has regularly appeared on Newshub.
The journalist - who is bilingual and of Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Rangitihi heritage - said she was proud of what her achievements might mean for others.
"I'm very much aware that I'm the first [with moko kauae] to anchor a six o'clock primetime news bulletin," she said. "That is always at the back of my mind, that every step I make is like breaking through a glass ceiling."
Social media lit up with support for Kaipara following her prime-time debut.
"Congratulations," one wrote.
"Love this! Representation matters" added another.
"So awesome to see you on at prime time," agreed a third.
