Tihema Baker

Complementary English and Māori Studies majors fostered the core skills of writing and critical thinking that Tihema now uses daily in his mahi as a consultant.

When I left high school, I wanted to be a teacher. English was my favourite subject and I liked the idea of helping children achieve and bring the best out of themselves. So I thought I would major in English Literature and then complete a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. I also took a couple of te reo Māori and Māori Studies courses, hoping to properly learn the language of my tūpuna and grow my knowledge of our history and tikanga. Those papers hooked me, and I soon picked up Māori Studies as a second major.

My English papers exposed me to literature I would never have read otherwise. There was so much to learn by exploring the literature of different parts of the world, cultures, and time periods. The literature that resonated with me most, though, was from closer to home: New Zealand and Pacific literature for example. Māori literature so often explores our collective experience as Māori within a postcolonial society, so I enjoyed absorbing these stories while learning about the historical context behind them.

My complementary English and Māori Studies majors fostered critical thinking and analysis. I learned to communicate clearly in both written and oral forms, presenting and defending my ideas or views to others. These are core skills I have drawn on throughout my career. But I also learned so many things I apply outside of work; studying English Literature has benefited my own creative writing, for example, and learning te reo Māori has enabled me to challenge myself to write creatively in another language.

I was fortunate to get a job as an analyst at Te Arawhiti, then known as the Office of Treaty Settlements. As well as the core skills, my knowledge of our history and Treaty settlements set me up well for this. Report-writing was very different to essay-writing, but the principles were the same: communicate ideas clearly and efficiently. From there I went on to hold positions as a policy advisor, private secretary to a minister, a senior advisor, and an acting manager.

In 2020 I took a break from full-time work to study a Master of Arts in Creative Writing. My English degree set me up well for the critical analysis needed to inform my own writing and the feedback I gave to others. The Master’s was one of the best things I’ve done, growing me as a writer and a person.

All of this experience has set me up well to be an independent consultant, with the freedom to contract my services in roles that interest me and suit my lifestyle. I am currently enjoying a variety of mahi, including advising the government on justice reform, project managing for my iwi, assessing Creative New Zealand arts grants, and writing for various publications.

I still get raised eyebrows when I tell colleagues I have a degree in English Literature. I don’t think people see how it can contribute to a career like mine as a consultant. It’s the soft stuff that I’ve found really valuable: insight and appreciation of other cultures and worldviews, connecting with people and building relationships, and the simple enjoyment of an inspiring book.