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Proud Māori Cop Becomes First Queensland Officer To Have Traditional Chin Tattoo

Proud Māori Cop Becomes First Queensland Officer To Have Traditional Chin Tattoo

Senior Constable Brenda Lee said the culturally and spiritually significant ink has helped her while on the job.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A Queensland Police officer has become the first in the Force to sport a traditional Māori chin tattoo.

Senior Constable Brenda Lee from Jacobs Well Police Beat is a proud Māori and says the inking has a special significance in her culture.

It's officially called moko kauae and is described as 'a sacred female facial skin marking' that is passed down through generations.

It shows off an individual's cultural and spiritual ancestry and displaying the tattoo means you a proud to reveal who you are.

Senior Constanble Lee said: "It represents dignity, identity, worthiness, respect, integrity, genealogy, accomplishment, warriorhood, beauty, honour to serve others, you do not have to earn it, if you whakapapa Māori , it is your birthrite to choose.

"Being of Irish and Chinese descent, my heart is drawn to Māori. I am proud to be wearing moko kauae.

"It has taken me 17 to 18 years to come to a place where I was ready for moko kauae, it's a personal journey.

"Everyone has individual designs and you never know what it's going to look like until you get off the table. So, after it was finished, I went to the mirror and had a really good look and oh, man, I cried. "It was what I was waiting for."

She has the full support of Queensland Police, who have published her story on their website.

Her public display of her culture has also been celebrated and praised by people online, with more than 20,000 people liking a post on Facebook.

The police officer said it has real-world benefits when she's on the job.

Queensland Police/Facebook

"I remember one particular mental health job," she recalled. "The patient looked at me and said, are you Māori? And I said 'Ae', and an instant connection was made.

"I was able to interact with her, keep her calm and I picked up that she missed her mum. I started to sing little waiata, little songs to her from when she would have been at school and we did a karakia together.

"Queensland Ambulance asked me to stay as I was keeping her calm. I did what any mum would do with their kids - sang to her, told her she was going to be okay. And that kept her calm.

"I didn't realise being Māori would have such an effect on my policing jobs."

She's had other scenarios where the tattoo has helped her connect with people in delicate situations.

"I'm proud of being Māori, if you're proud of being Māori and want to do this, go for it! Your time! But wear it with mana, wear it well, wear it with dignity and integrity and wear it to show the warriorhood from inside," she said.

Featured Image Credit: Queensland Police/Facebook

Topics: Australia