Witi Tame Ihimaera-Smiler is a New Zealand author. Raised in the small town of Waituhi, he decided to become a writer as a teenager after being convinced that Māori people were ignored or mischaracterised in literature. He was the first Māori writer to publish a collection of short stories, with Pounamu, Pounamu (1972), and the first to publish a novel, with Tangi (1973). After his early works he took a ten-year break from writing, during which he focused on editing an anthology of Māori writing in English.
From the late 1980s onwards he wrote prolifically. In his novels, plays, short stories and opera librettos, he examines contemporary Māori culture, legends and history, and the impacts of colonisation in New Zealand. He has said that "Māori culture is the taonga, the treasure vault from which I source my inspiration". His 1987 novel The Whale Rider is his best-known work, read widely by children and adults both in New Zealand and overseas. It was adapted into the critically acclaimed 2002 film Whale Rider directed by Niki Caro. His semi-autobiographical novel Nights in the Gardens of Spain (1996) was about a married man coming to terms with his homosexuality. In later works he has dealt with historical events such as the campaign of non-violent resistance at Parihaka in the late nineteenth century.
He is an influential figure in New Zealand literature, and over his long career has won numerous awards and fellowships, including multiple awards for both fiction and non-fiction at the New Zealand Book Awards spanning the period 1973 to 2016, the Robert Burns Fellowship (1975), the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship (1993), and a Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement (2017). Until 2010 he was the Professor of English and Distinguished Creative Fellow in Māori Literature at the University of Auckland. He has since published two volumes of his memoirs: Māori Boy: A Memoir of Childhood (2014) and Native Son: The Writer's Memoir (2019).
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Some of their strengths
Witi Ihimaera has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Energetic, Imaginative, Passionate, Generous, Idealistic, Analytical, and Innovative.
Idealistic and Altruistic
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Witi Ihimaera is someone who is an idealist and an altruist who possesses an innovative, intellectual, and analytical mind, and who approaches life in an optimistic and easygoing manner. A person who defines themself by their friends and what groups they belong to.
Charming and Sophisticated
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Witi Ihimaera well know them as someone who can be classy, glamorous, and worldly, like jewelry.
Truthful and Kind
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Witi Ihimaera as someone who is honest, compassionate, imaginative, and instinctual.
A person who enjoys new challlenges, is a magnet for attracting other creative types, good at identifying opportunities, and who is good at forming loyal, lifelong friendships.
Charismatic and Instinctual
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Witi Ihimaera is someone who handles stress better than most people, and who tends to have a powerful charisma and convictions.
They are also someone who is calm, comforting, and stable, and who loves stability and being a good friend and loyal partner.
Altruistic and Innovative
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Witi Ihimaera tends to be someone who sacrifices things for the good of others and wants to do "good" in the world. Who is often thought of as an innovator or rebel who thrives when trying to chase a breakthrough of some sort, who has a clear and sound mind, and who can be charming and sociable.
Some of Witi Ihimaera's challenges
While Witi Ihimaera has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Witi Ihimaera can be Emotional, Rebellious, Short-tempered, Indecisive, Emotionally Distant, Standoffish, and Impulsive.
Rebellious and Emotionally Distant
One of Witi Ihimaera's key challenges is that they are someone who can be rebellious and emotionally distant.
Witi Ihimaera must also exercise caution as they can be excessive and unrealistic.
Unrealistic and Indecisive
Witi Ihimaera is someone who can be unrealistic, indecisive, and lacking in confidence, who can be impulsive when it comes to making important decisions, have difficulty collaborating with others, can be argumentative and not willling to accept criticism, and who can be disappointed by the high expectations they place on others.
Serious and Callous
Finally, Witi Ihimaera also can be too giving, come across as too "high and mighty", and can have a hard time expressing feelings.
