New Zealand newsreader hits back at viewer who said her Maori face tattoo was a ‘bad look’

A New Zealand newsreader clapped back at a viewer who insulted her Maori face tattoo after making history as the first person with a moko kauae to host a primetime news broadcast in New Zealand.

Now, for those of you who might not be aware, a moko kauae is a traditional marking received by Maori women on their lips and chin.

According to the official New Zealand website, it represents a woman’s extended family or community as well as her leadership within her community, recognizing her genes, status, and abilities.

It is a traditional taonga (treasure) passed down over many generations from the ancestress Niwareka as per the website.

Members of the Ngti Rnana London Mori Club show off traditional Maori clothing and facial markings. Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Being so meaningful to their identity, many Maori women wear their face art with pride, including Oriini Kaipara, who hit a major milestone back in 2021 after she became the first person ever to host a primetime news broadcast in the country sporting a moko kauae.

While the moment was iconic, it did not come without backlash.

One viewer, identified only as David, made a complaint to the show writing that her traditional tattoo is a “bad look” and added that Kaipara also “bursts into the Māori language which we do not understand.”

The news anchor was not going to take this lightly. Instead, she headed straight for social media to condemn David and his ignorant remarks.

“Thank you for all your complaints against me and my ‘moku’. I do find them very difficult to take seriously, given there is no breach of broadcast standards,” she began in a post on Instagram. “If I may, I’d like to correct you on one thing – it is moko not ‘moku’. A simple, helpful pronunciation guide of ‘Maw-Caw’ will help you articulate the word correctly.

“I gather your complaints stem from a place of preference on how one must look on-screen, according to you. Moko and people with them are not threatening, nor do they deserve such discrimination, harassment, or prejudice,” she continued.

“Moko are ancient cultural markings unique to the indigenous people of Aotearoa, myself included,” she said, before concluding that the viewer reserves his “cultural ignorance” for “another lifetime preferably in the 1800s”.

Kaipara politely signed off with “Nga mihi matakuikui o te wa,” before writing, “The lady with the moko kauwae who speaks Māori but MOSTLY English on TV.'”

The newsreader has since spoken to The New Zealand Herald about the incident and said the specific viewer she’d responded to had been “relentless” in his objections.

“These types of complaints are being sent by a minority,” she emphasized, saying she also received a great many “lovely and thoughtful” messages.

“The fact that my existence triggers some people is a testament to why we need more Māori advocates in key roles across every sector,” she added.

We’re so glad to hear it!