Miriama Evans was born in Christchurch and was educated at Victoria University in Wellington where she graduated with a B.A. and B.A.(1st Class Hons) in Māori Studies. In 1985 she began an M.A. in Māori Studies at Victoria University and in the following year joined Te Ohu Whakatupu, the Māori Women’s Secretariat in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Miriama has worked as a public servant in the Ministry of Māori Development and as a member of the Prime Minister’s staff. Miriama was part of the Spiral Collective and worked in the Haeata Collective which produced the New Zealand Herstory Diary 1985. She was the editor of the Māori section in The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Poetry/Nga Kupu Tītohu o Aotearoa, (1989) and she also helped edit Wahine Kaituhi. Miriama has been a committee member of Te Ha, the Māori Writers’ Society. When Witi Ihimaera’s Pounamu Pounamu was translated into Māori, she wrote the review in Māori.
In 2006 Miriama’s non-fiction publication co-written with Ranui Ngarimu, The Eternal Thread/ Te Aho Mutunga Kore: the Art of Māori Weaving, was a finalist in the Montana New Zealand Book Awards category Lifestyle & Contemporary Culture. She is chair of the Trustees of Te Runanga o Ngāti Mutunga.
"Miriama is currently a member of the Waitangi Tribunal, a member of Te Aka Matua Māori Advisory for Victoria University and the national advisor to St John on Māori Health. Miriama has recently retired as a member of Te Runanga o Ngāti Mutungā where she spent more than twenty years in governance roles."
Biographical sources
- Phone conversation and correspondence with Miriama Evans, Sept. 1998, and 19 May 2004.
- Te Ha questionnaire 1992.
- Landfall 39 1985.
-
http://www.huia.co.nz/huia-bookshop/authors/author/59 28 October 2016
Non-fiction
- "Te Kiato Riwai: 1915-1967." The Book of New Zealand Women - Ko Kui Ma Te Kaupapa. Ed. Charlotte Macdonald, Merimeri Penfold and Bridget Williams. Wellington, N.Z.: Bridget Williams, 1991: 570-572. Rpt. in Te Māori News 2.8 (1993): 12.
- Biographical account of Te Kiato (Kia) Riwai who trained as a nurse with the Voluntary Aid Division and during the Second World War was posted to Italy and England. After the war she managed her own cake store in Christchurch and founded the Te Wai Pounamu Old Girls’ Association. She also organised the Otautahi Māori club and worked as a Department of Māori Affairs Welfare Officer and later as a Senior Welfare Officer for the South Island.
- "Politics and Māori Literature." Landfall 39.1 (1985): 40-45. Rev. and rpt. as "The Politics of Māori Literature." in Meanjin 44 (1985): 358-363.
- Evans examines why in the mid 1980s Māori literature written in English still remained "largely invisible." She looks at the monocultural policies of publishers and disputes the old claim that Māori neither read nor buy books. She asserts that there is a great need for Māori literature in English and Māori to be produced. She also advocates that Māori writers themselves must "come out of the shadows" and aggressively submit more manuscripts to publishers. She also observes a need for Māori editors.
- "Māori Women’s Writing." Wahine Kaituhi: Women Writers in Aotearoa. Wellington, N.Z: Spiral, 1985.
- Māori Women in the Economy: A Preliminary Rreview of the Economic Position of Māori Women in New Zealand. Anne Horsfield & Miriama Evans. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Minitatanga Mo Nga Wahine, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, 1988.
- In this publication of seven chapters, the authors examine various statistics of Māori women in New Zealand society pertaining to age distribution, fertility, household size and structure, employment and unemployment, income and wealth, and educational achievements. Evans states in her Forword: ‘Te Ohu Whakatupu welcomes this report and acknowledges the major contribution of Anne Horsfield as the primary author. The report surveys existing data and literature on the economic position of Māori women in New Zealand."
- Introduction. The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Poetry/ Nga Kupu T˚tohu o Aotearoa. Ed. Mirama Evans, Harvey McQueen and Ian Wedde. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1989.
- Introduction. Miriama Evans. Putea Pounamu: July Report. Produced for Te Ohu Whakatupu by Maree Wehipeihana, Changes NZ, 31 July 1989. Whanganui-a-Tara: Te Ohu Whakatupu, Te Minitanga Mō Ngā Wāhine/Ministry of Women’s Affairs, 1989. 7.
- Miriama Evans gives a brief overview of the development and application of the concept of Putea Pounamu.
- The Art of Māori Weaving. The Eternal Thread/ Te Aho Mutunga Kore. Wellington, N.Z.: Huia Publishers, 2005.
- Written by Miriama Evans and Ranui Ngarimu with photographs by Norman Heke.
- He Rito, He Ranga: Kiekie: Our Taonga Plant. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Roopu Taranga Whatu o Aotearoa, Toi Māori Aotearoa, 2009.
Other
- The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Poetry/ Nga Kupu T˚tohu O Aotearoa. Ed. Miriama Evans, Harvey McQueen and Ian Wedde. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1989.
Papers/Presentations
- "Theme 5 Plenary Address: Providing Education for all Women and Girls." Opening address presented to the South East Asia and South Pacific Sub-Regional "Education For All" Conference. Darwin, Austral. October 1990.
- "Providing Education for All Women and Girls: Theme 5 Plenary Address." Opening address of the South East Asia and South Pacific Sub-Regional "Education For All" Conference. Darwin, Austral. October 1990.
- Miriama Evans writes that this address: ‘sets out an overview of the position of women and girls and provides some regional insights about their education’ and she also discusses ‘aspects of New Zealand education of women and girls, and explores some issues arising from ethnicity.’
Reviews
- Rev. of The Fish of our Fathers, by Ron Bacon. The Māori Language Resource Centre. No details.
- Rev. of The Matriarch, by Witi Ihimaera. No details.
- Rev. of The Old-Time Māori, by Makereti. No details.
- Evans, M. and I. Ramsden. "Te Mana Wahine." Rev. of Wahine Toa, by Patricia Grace and Robyn Kahukiwa. Listener 30 Jun. 1984: 68.
- "Collection as Precious as Greenstone." Rev. in Māori and English of Te Reo 1; Te Reo 2, by Ngoi Pewhairangi and Katerina Mataira. Rev. of Te Tuna me ngaa Tamariki o te Tiriti o Toa; Watercress Tuna and the Children of Champion Street, by Patricia Grace and Robyn Kahukiwa. Trans. Hirini Melbourne. Rev. of He Aha Te Mea Nui?; Ko Au Teenei: Maa Wai?; Ahakoa He Iti, by Patricia Grace and Robyn Kahukiwa. Dominion 31 Aug. 1985. No further details.
- "Front Line Dispatch." Rev. of Māori Sovereignty, by Donna Awatere. Dominion 16 Feb. 1985. No further details.
- "Māori Carving Study Full of Interest." Rev. of Whakairo: Māori Tribal Art, by David Simmons. Dominion 20 Jul. 1985: 11.
- "Treasure for the Māori Reader." Rev. in English and Māori of Pounamu Pounamu, Māori edition, by Witi Ihimaera, translator Jean Wikiriwhi. Dominion 19 Apr. 1986. No further details.
- "Books: Between friends." Rev. of Na To Hoa Aroha: From Your Dear Friend (Vols 1 & 2), ed. M. P. K Sorrenson. Listener 5 Dec. 1987: 86-87.
- "The Survivors Tell Their Stories." Rev. of Nga Morehu: The Survivors, by Judith Binney and Gillian Chaplin. Dominion 22 Feb. 1987. No further details.
- "Books: Between Friends." Rev. of Na To Hoa Aroha: From Your Dear Friend, Ed. M. P. K. Sorrenson. Listener 5 Dec. 1987: 86-87.
- "Māoridom’s Darkest Days." Rev. of Mihipeka: Early Years, by Mihi Edwards. Dominion 12 May 1990: 7.
- "A Growing Strength." Rev. of He Tangi Aroha, by Apirana Taylor. Mana: the Māori News Magazine For All New Zealanders 3 (1993): 33.
- "A Growing Strength." Rev. of He Tangi Aroha, by Apirana Taylor. Mana: The Māori News Magazine for All New Zealanders 3 (1993): 33.
- "A Seed For The Future." Rev. of Ngaa Mahi Whakaari a Titokowaru, by Ruka Broughton. New Zealand Books 4.3 (1994): 4-5.
- "A Seed for the Future." Rev. of Ngaa Mahi Whakaari a Titokowaru, by Ruka Broughton. New Zealand Books 4.3 (1994): 4-5.
Other
- Robyns, Sian. "Jobs, Dignity And Equality." Dominion 18 Dec. 1989: 13.
- Rosier, Pat. "Broadcast: Putting Women On the Government Agenda." Broadsheet 162 (1988): 9.
- Rosier, Pat. "We’re All on the Same Side, Aren’t We?" Broadsheet 163 (1988): 9-10.
- Erai, Michelle, Fuli, Everdina, Irwin, Kathie and Wilcox, Lenaire. Māori Women: An Annotated Bibliography. [Wellington, N.Z.]: Michelle Erai, Everdina Fuli, Kathie Irwin and Lenaire Wilcox, 1991. 8.
Reviews
Māori Women in the Economy: A Preliminary Preview of the Economic Position of Māori
- Kearney, Celine. "Book Review." Mental Health News (Dec. 1988): 25-26.
The Art of Māori Weaving. The Eternal Thread/ Te Aho Mutunga Kore.
- Couch, Donald and Elizabeth O’Connor. "Book Reviews." Te Karaka: the Ngai Tahu Magazine 30 (2006): 42.
- Watson, M. "The Art of Māori Weaving: The Eternal Thread." Choice 44.6 (2007): 970.
The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Poetry
- Allan, Guy. "Volume Reflects Range Of Decade." New Zealand Herald 9 Dec. 1989: 6.
- Brunton, Alan. "A Big One: The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Poetry." Sport 4 (1990): 145-158.
- Caffin, Elizabeth and Timoti S Karetu. "‘1: A Fair go.’ and ‘2: Living on.’ in "The poems of the 80s." Listener 20 Nov. 1989: 111-112.
- There are two parts to this review of The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Poetry/ Nga Kupu Titohu O Aotearoa: Elizabeth Caffin in "1: A Fair Go" reviews the English language material, and Timoti S Karetu in ‘2: Living On." reviews the Māori content.
- Cochrane, Kirsty. "Māori Poetry Balances a Generous Confusion." Dominion Sunday Times 12 Nov. 1989: 17.
- Jensen, Kai. "Poetic Variety Provides Refreshment." Dominion 4 Nov. 1989: 9.
- McEldowney, W. J. "Books: Melted Down Into Two Anthologies." Otago Daily Times 14 Apr. 1990: 21.
- Riach, Alan. "Everyone Who’s Anyone." Landfall 44.2 (1990): 254-257.
- Richards, Max. Span 32 (1991): 128-131.
- Rickets, Harry. "Literary Landscape." Evening Post 4 Nov. 1989: 33.
- Thorpe, Helen and Betty Patterson. "Non-fiction." New and Notable: Books for the Secondary School Library 7.1 (1990): 22.