A leading senior police officer has become the first Māori member of the Victoria Police to wear a moko kauae.
Senior Constable Marlene Drummond, who is of Ngāpuhi descent, received her moko kaue after years of consideration and reflection.
“I feel anchored to my heritage and ancestry, like I’m carrying my Nanny with me,” she said.
The moko kauae is a sacred taonga (treasure) for wāhine Māori, representing their whakapapa (genealogy), whānau (family), tūpuna (ancestors), and cultural heritage.
Drummond said it was a visual representation of her cultural identity and told her story of resilience and determination.
The occasion was marked with the presence of several senior officers, including Victoria Police chief commissioner Mike Bush, who was New Zealand’s police commissioner from 2014 to 2020.
Victoria Police said it was proud to stand with Drummond.
Drummond’s celebration was also attended by the first Australian police officer to wear a moko kauae, in 2021, Queensland-based Senior Constable Brenda Lee, of Ngāti Kuri descent.
Sergeant Whiti Timutimu, Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Awa and Ngati Porou, was the first female officer in the New Zealand Police to have a moko kauae in 2018.