A TV presenter with a traditional Māori face tattoo has calmly replied to negative comments from a viewer, proudly standing up for her cultural heritage and identity.
Facial tattoos often spark debates online. Some people think tattoos should only be on the body, while others understand and appreciate their cultural importance.
Oriini Kaipara, 41, made history when she became a newsreader for New Zealand’s Newshub. She is the first primetime TV news presenter to wear a moko kauae, a special facial tattoo for Māori women.
The Māori are the indigenous people of mainland New Zealand. They see moko kauae as important symbols of their heritage and identity. These tattoos, traditionally on the lips and chin, show a woman’s family ties, leadership, and honor her lineage, status, and abilities.
Oriini Kaipara. Credit: Oriini Kaipara / Instagram.
Despite receiving praise, one viewer named David expressed his dislike for Kaipara’s moko kauae in an email to Newshub.
He wrote, “We continue to object strongly to you using a Māori newsreader with a moku [moko] which is offensive and aggressive looking. A bad look. She also bursts into the Māori language which we do not understand. Stop it now,” according to the Daily Mail.
But Kaipara didn’t let David’s negative words stop her. She bravely shared screenshots of his messages on her Instagram story and responded calmly.
“Today I had enough. I responded. I never do that. I broke my own code and hit the send button,” she wrote on her Instagram story alongside a screenshot of David’s message.
Kaipara didn’t just share screenshots of David’s email, she also responded to him. She explained that his complaint wasn’t valid because she hadn’t broken any rules for TV.
She also corrected David’s spelling mistake. He called her tattoo a “moku” instead of “moko”.
In her email back to him, Kaipara said, “I think you don’t like how I look on TV. But tattoos and people with them aren’t scary or bad. We don’t deserve to be treated badly because of them.”
She asked him to stop complaining and to try to understand better. She even joked that maybe he should go back to the 1800s if he couldn’t accept people with tattoos.
Despite David’s negative words, Kaipara says she mostly gets nice comments, and mean ones are rare.
In an interview with the New Zealand Herald, Kaipara talked about how it’s important to have more Māori people in important jobs. She said, “The fact that my existence makes some people upset shows why we need more Māori people in every job.”
Kaipara’s calm response reminds us how important it is to be proud of who you are, even when people are mean. She’s inspiring others to be proud of themselves and stand up to unfair treatment.
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Christie Brinkley Diagnosed With Heartbreaking Condition at 70, Shares Tragic Update
Supermodel Christie Brinkley disclosed her recent health ordeal in a candid post. At 70 years old, she revealed she underwent a procedure following a casual doctor’s visit that that led to her being diagnosed with a serious condition.
A chance encounter that proved miraculous.
© christiebrinkley / Instagram
Brinkley wasn’t at the doctor’s office for herself, but for her daughter. However, a small concern caught the doctor’s attention. «The Doctor was looking at each freckle with a magnifying glass… it wasn’t my appointment, so I wasn’t going to say anything, but at the VERY end I asked if he could just look at a little tiny dot I could feel as I applied my foundation,» she recounted. The doctor acted swiftly, performing a biopsy on the spot, which led to her diagnosis of skin cancer.
© christiebrinkley / Instagram
Brinkley expressed relief in her post, saying, «The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early.» She praised her medical team for their expert care, likening their skill to that of high-fashion tailors, «And I had great Doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior…»
She’s ready to make lifestyle changes and urges her fans to do the same.
© christiebrinkley / Instagram
Following her diagnosis, Brinkley has decided to make significant changes to her daily routine to better protect her skin. She emphasized the importance of sun protection to her followers, stating, «The good news for you is that all of this can be avoided by being diligent with your sun protection!» She plans to be more vigilant, using sunscreen, wearing protective clothing, and undergoing regular skin check-ups.
Brinkley concluded by expressing gratitude to the doctors and reminding everyone to prioritize their health check-ups. This health update comes shortly after Brinkley celebrated a milestone birthday, marking the beginning of a new chapter focused on wellness and prevention.
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