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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Brain Teaser: Can you identify the error in this family’s dining room photo in under 15 seconds?
IQ Test using BraBrain Teaser: Try to identify the error in the family’s dining room picture in this entertaining quiz.
Can you spot the mistake in this quick IQ test teaser within 15 seconds? Take a look at the family’s dining room photo and see if you can identify the error in this fun quiz. Can you find the error in just fifteen seconds?Are you a fan of entertaining games and puzzles? If so, this brain teaser is just for you! It’s a great way to test your IQ and challenge your brain. Brain teasers have the power to unlock your creative thinking and change the way your brain works. Give it a try and see how well you can solve it!This particular puzzle includes a fun twist that boosts the engagement of a simple problem. To solve it, you need to think creatively and approach the challenge from a unique perspective.We created a challenging puzzle where you need to find the mistake hidden in the picture of the dining room of the family.Brain Teaser IQ Test: In fifteen seconds, can you identify the photo of the family’s dining room?Determine how many people are in the camping picture.The task at hand is to find the mistake hidden in the photograph of a family enjoying their meal. From the picture, it is evident that the family is gathered in their dining room. They are all seated around the dining table, except for the elderly man who is standing. Additionally, there is a large turkey placed on the table. However, despite these details, there is an error that is not immediately noticeable in the image. To provide an accurate response, it is crucial to carefully examine the picture as the solution may seem simple but can be challenging to spot. It is important to note that the answers to this puzzle are located directly below the question, so it is essential to avoid scrolling too far to prevent cheating.
Hint: The person in the dining room is wearing something that hides the mistake.
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