A TV presenter with a traditional Māori face tattoo has responded gracefully to a troll’s comments, reaffirming her pride in her cultural heritage and identity.
Facial tattoos often spark debates online, with some people saying tattoos should only be on the body, while others appreciate the cultural significance behind them.
Oriini Kaipara, 41, made history when she joined New Zealand’s Newshub as a newsreader, becoming the first primetime TV news bulletin presenter with a moko kauae, a revered cultural marking worn by Māori women.
Māori, the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand, see moko kauae as profound symbols of heritage and identity. These facial tattoos, usually on the lips and chins, symbolize a woman’s family connections, leadership in her community, and honor her lineage, status, and abilities.
Despite the praise, one viewer, known as David, expressed his discontent with Kaipara’s moko kauae in an email to Newshub.
“We continue to object strongly to you using a Māori newsreader with a moku [moko] which is offensive and aggressive looking,” he wrote, according to the Daily Mail. “A bad look. She also bursts into the Māori language which we do not understand. Stop it now.”
Kaipara wasn’t deterred by David’s remarks. Instead, she addressed the issue head-on, sharing screenshots of the messages on her Instagram story and responding with grace and dignity.
“Today I had enough. I responded. I never do that. I broke my own code and hit the send button,” she wrote on Instagram, along with a screenshot of David’s message.
Kaipara also shared her email response to David, where she wrote that she couldn’t take his complaint seriously “given there is no breach of broadcast standards.”
She corrected his spelling of moko, as David had called it “moku.”
In her email, Kaipara continued: “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, and prejudice.
“We mean no harm or ill intent nor do we/I deserve to be treated with such disregard,” she wrote. “Please refrain from complaining further, and restrain your cultural ignorance and bias for another lifetime, preferably in the 1800s.”
Despite David’s harsh criticism, Kaipara pointed out that she mostly receives praise and that cruel trolls are few and far between.
In an interview with the New Zealand Herald, Kaipara spoke about the importance of having more Māori advocates: “The fact that my existence triggers some people is testament to why we need more Māori advocates in key roles across every sector.”
Kaipara’s dignified response is a powerful reminder of the importance of cultural pride and resilience in the face of adversity.
She’s inspiring others to embrace their identities unapologetically and challenge discriminatory attitudes.
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