Māori woman first Royal NZ Navy representative to have moko kauae
5 Feb, 2021 04:10 PM
3 minutes to read
Melanie Huata-Lucas, 32, becomes the first Māori woman in the Royal New Zealand Navy to have a moko kauae, an ancestral marking on a woman s chin.
NZ Herald
By: Te Rina Triponel, Māori Affairs Reporter
Melanie Huata-Lucas - who last year became the first representative of the Royal New Zealand Navy to have a moko kauae - says she hopes to encourage other wahine Māori sailors to be confident in their identity.
The 32-year-old received her moko kauae after 13 years of service with the Navy as a sailor and events co-ordinator. She is now transitioning into a new role as marae events and protocol manager for the Navy.