Tīhema Baker (Raukawa te Au ki te Tonga, Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira) is a writer and Tiriti o Waitangi-based policy advisor from Ōtaki. His writing often deconstructs the complex interactions between and within te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā, based on personal and professional experience. He is the author of satirical sci-fi novel Turncoat, which parodies the experiences of Māori public servants working in central government. His essay "New Zealander of the Year", which placed second in the Landfall Essay Competition 2023, explores the deep whakamā felt by Māori learning te reo Māori, and the ignorance of Pākehā learners to it. He is also the author of young adult series The Watchers Trilogy, and various short stories and essays.

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