An emotional video of legendary Kiwi news presenter Mike McRoberts getting a moko dedicated to his whanau is making the rounds online.
The clip comes from a documentary McRoberts starred in recently, ‘Kia Ora, Good Evening’, that follows the McRoberts whānau as Mike “attempts to reclaim a taonga that was lost to his whānau a generation ago,” according to the show’s description on Three Now.
In the clip, Mike’s nephew, Shaun, explains the intricate design of the tattoo, which incorporates Mike’s parents, grandparents, children, and siblings.
“I wanna put your kids on your chest, so it’s closer to your heart,” Shaun said.
“I’ll put your grandparents on there with them, so they’re watching over them. And then I’ll start the top of the shoulder with your mother and father, then I’m gonna do your siblings down the rest of the arm,” he continued.
“The three lines that are wrapped in the border - they all signify your hands holding your family.”
Mike gets visibly emotional, wiping away a tear, after hearing how much thought has gone into the design and what it represents - specifically how it incorporates his kids Ben and Maia.
While getting the moko, Mike is visibly in pain but surrounded by his loved ones.
“I felt every line,” he said about the moko. “And I had moments of great pain and moments of really deep reflections on things.”
“I felt incredibly blessed to have my whanau around, and at various points, they stepped in to hold my hand or rub my feet or rub my head or just be there. Some beautiful moments actually."
After an emotional haka by his family, Mike tells the camera “it’s probably one of the most incredible days of my life, to be honest.”
Big ups to Mike for letting the cameras in for such vulnerable moments in his life and sharing how much Māori heritage means to him and his whānau.
The documentary released for this year’s Te Wiki o te reo Māori is available to stream on ThreeNow.
Image credit: Newshub
