Native Affairs presenter Oriini Kaipara took the Ancestry.com DNA test last year as part of a Native Affairs story on Māori identity.
Last night on Native Affairs DNA specialist Brad Argent announced that Kaipara was 100% Māori.
He said, “What’s happened over time is that the genetic material that has been passed down to you that stuff has just diluted away. In your case, it’s led to you being 100 percent Māori.”
Kaipara appeared on Kawe Kōrero tonight and was asked what the result meant to her and if her DNA makes her more Māori than others.
She replied, “No, that's how I'm going to answer that question. The test isn't to find out if I'm more Māori than someone else, that person has their own Māori mannerisms and blood. As we know, this test was a big find for me personally, it has no reflection upon anyone else aside from my children. So to answer to your question is no not at all.”
Kaipara remained tight lipped about the results, only telling her parents before it was broadcast on air last night.
“I kept the results a secret amongst ourselves for the past three or four weeks to allow myself and Native Affairs to broadcast the findings to the country. I kept it to myself, however I did disclose it to my parents, and they weren't surprised at all. My mum told me that, your kuia had the same blood in her, so I'm not surprised one bit, what's fact is true.
Despite the attention she has received since her DNA results were revealed, Kaipara says it changes nothing for her.
“The results change nothing for me and my family. The world hasn't changed, my world hasn't changed nor have I. That's where things are at the moment, the main message however is that I'm not more Māori than anyone else and Oriini isn't changing.”
Here is the link to the Native Affairs - Full-Blooded Māori story
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If you are interested in being tested you can do so through www.ancestry.com.