Human Interest New Zealand Broadcaster Becomes First Person with Māori Face Markings to Anchor Primetime News Oriini Kaipara filled in as the anchor of Newshub Live’s 6 p.m. broadcast in New Zealand on Monday By Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger is a TV Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. She joined the brand in 2021 as a digital news writer, covering stories spanning across the site's verticals. She previously contributed E! Online, Hollywood Life and Oscar.com. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 30, 2021 08:03PM EST Photo: Oriini Kaipara/instagram A New Zealand journalist made history and her own dream come true when she became the first person with Māori face markings to anchor the national news in primetime. Oriini Kaipara — who has a moko kauae or a traditional chin marking worn by Māori women — filled in for the permanent anchors on Newshub Live's 6 p.m. news bulletin on New Zealand's Three channel on Monday according to Yahoo! News. "I am proud of how far I've come in being able to anchor 6 p.m. right now," Kaipara told Stuff. "It's definitely a step forward and a step up. If there was a goal for me, it would be anchoring primetime news, and that's happened." Quannah Chasinghorse on Lack of Indigenous Representation, Feeling Not 'Pretty Enough' Growing Up She added, "That is always at the back of my mind, that every step I make is like breaking through a glass ceiling. It's breaking new ground for us as Māori, but also for people of color. Whether you've got a moko kauae or not." Kaipara previously received notoriety after she was named the first person with a moko kauee to anchor the TVNZ 1's midday news broadcast in 2019. Becky G Says Dora the Explorer Was the 'Only' Representation She Had Growing Up: 'An Icon' Michael Bradley/Getty In 2017, Kaipara discovered she was almost 100 percent Māori through DNA test, according to The Guardian. Ever since then, she said, she has made representation and inclusion on television a part of her mission. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. "I've been realizing for a while that it's much bigger than just reading the news, or doing stories that matter to all of us," she told Stuff. "It's also a big win for this generation and the next 10 generations — don't let identity or your culture hold you back from anything. Meena Harris Talks Diversity, Empowerment and Motherhood: 'Representation Matters' She concluded, "In fact, you use it as your power, to be greater and do great things for everyone."