A Māori nurse faces a backlash over a cultural facial tattoo. Video / Michael Craig
Mary Parkinson Peni completed her Māori nursing degree in July 2024 and started work at Middlemore Hospital’s gynaecology unit.
She received her moko kauae in January, intended to honour her whānau and achievements.
She told the Herald she offers the same care to all patients, but some have rejected her care because of her moko kauae.
A nurse at Middlemore Hospital claims she has been the target of racism from some patients after receiving her moko kauae in January.
“One lady just totally refused me helping her. I heard her say ‘I don’t want that black girl with the ugly face to look after me’ Mary Parkinson Peni told the Herald.
“My workmates stood up for me. I handed the old lady on to another nurse because I didn’t want her or myself in an unsafe situation.
Nursing graduate Mary Parkinson Peni said she has received some ugly comments from patients about her moko kauae, and positive comments from others.
Moko kauae is a traditional Māori tattooing of the lips and chin. It is unique to each individual and informed by their whakapapa (ancestry) and whānau (family).
Parkinson Peni (Te Arawa, Whakatohea, Ngāti Hine) said none of the abuse had to be escalated to management.
“I’ve also had comments [from patients] that I would never get a job anywhere else, or it’s going to be hard for you to travel overseas with that on your face.
Parkinson Peni said she gives the same level of care to everyone, and other people’s racial ignorance was something for them to deal with.
“Most of the comments come from the older generation.”
Māori nurse Mary Parkinson Peni told the Herald she give the same level of care to every patient.
She added that for other patients, the moko kauae has been a conversation-starter, and a plus.
“Some patients will say ‘I don’t like it’ but once I educate them about what it represents in our culture, they relax,” Parkinson Peni said. “I can explain to [them] what this means to me as a wāhine Māori.
“And when other Māori come into the gynaecology unit, seeing me as someone like them can calm them down.”
Receiving her moko kauae
After four years of night shifts and day study, Parkinson Peni completed her nursing training in July and joined Middlemore Hospital’s Gynaecology team in September - the first in her family to graduate with a degree.
One lady just totally refused me helping her. I heard her say ‘I don’t want that black girl with the ugly face to look after me
She had learned Te Reo Māori during her training and felt that a moko kauae honouring her whānau, partner and nursing journey could be the next step in deepening her connection to her culture.
“My moko kauae represents love and care and an amazing achievement that I never thought I would do by completing my studies and gaining a bachelor in nursing.
Mary Parkinson Peni getting her moko kauae in January. Image supplied. 14 May 2025.
Before she got the moko kauae, Peni discussed the design with the artist.
“I asked for it to represent my three sisters, my partner and son, and to flow like water as my nursing journey had only just begun.
“I have my bottom lip lined as my reo journey is still new, so I can add the rest of my ngutu (lip) later.”
Nursing graduate Mary Parkinson Peni and stepson Zion.
No one on her Dad’s side of the family had had a moko kauae for decades - she was reviving the whanau tradition.
“I had a dream prior to getting it done and after it was revealed it just felt like it was always there,” Parkinson Peni said.
Mary Parkinson Peni with her partner of five years Jacob, and stepson Zion.
Discovering nursing
Parkinson Peni discovered her calling as a nurse by caring for an injured family member more than two decades ago.
“I was only 15 and my cousin 16, when he jumped off a bridge in Gisborne and hit a log” she told the Herald.
“He has been paralysed from the chest down ever since, and I became a carer.
“He’s 38 now but I’ve always helped people and I liked being around the healing environment.”
Mary Parkinson Peni works at Middlemore Hospital's Gynaecology unit.
Last Friday, Parkinson Peni formally graduated from MIT with her Te Tohu Paetahi Tikanga Rangatira ā-Tapuhi, Bachelor of Nursing Māori (TTPTRT) degree.
Her partner of five years Jacob was there, along with her stepson Zion, along with two of her three sisters, who came from Australia for the ceremony.
Nurse Mary Parkinson Peni wears her moko kauae with pride despite having been subjected to racial abuse since getting it in January.
“At school it was almost embarrassing to be Māori and I hung out with my European and Poly mates but this nursing programme immersed me in Te Ao Māori and made me proud to be Māori, and I’m proud to have reconnected with my culture.
MIT Head of Nursing, Associate Professor Deborah Rowe (Ngāi Tahu) said Parkinson Peni’s moko kauae is part of what makes her unique.
“She was very dedicated, enthusiastic, a real go-getter who achieved good grades. Mary has a bubbly personality which draws people to her.”
Head of Nursing at MIT Associate Professor Deborah Rowe.
“Working with Student Council, Mary supported other tauira (learners) and advocated for them.”
“Usually, there’s a time and a place when an individual and their whānau believe it is right to receive their moko kauae. It is a sign of the journey in identity and culture they are on. For Māori patients in hospitals or clinics it shows their Māoritanga and tikanga are valued in those environments. In some cases making [patients] more likely to feel comfortable accessing healthcare and more supported when they do” said Rowe.
Fiona McCarthy, Interim Chief Human Resources Officer Health New Zealand said staff and patient safety at all hospitals was a priority.
“Our frontline healthcare staff go to work each and every day to care for others – they should not have verbal abuse or physical threats made against them during the course of those duties.
“The safety of our staff is a priority for Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, and violence whether physical, verbal, or threatened towards healthcare staff is never acceptable,” McCarthy said.
“We encourage staff to report all incidents of abuse and assault. This reporting will help us to hear incidents, apply appropriate controls, support our staff and build a culture of safety.”
Joseph Los’e is an award winning journalist and joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and, prior to joining NZME, worked at urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira.
