Waana Davis

Waana Morrell Davis (née Grant; 15 January 1938 – 14 June 2019) was a New Zealand Māori teacher, city councillor for Palmerston North, a founding member of Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa, chairperson of Toi Māori Aotearoa and a member of the New Zealand Conservation Authority. Davis was affiliated with the Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Kahungunu iwi.

Biography Davis was born in Whakatāne on 15 January 1938, the daughter of Tom and Margaret Grant. She became a schoolteacher and was the senior mistress at Awatapu College. In 1983, Davis was one of the original founding members of the steering committee for Aotearoa Moana Nui A Kiwa Weavers which would be succeeded by Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa. In 1984, she was appointed as a Palmerston North city councillor, and was re-elected at subsequent local-body elections until she was defeated in 1998 by a slim margin. In the 2002 Queen's Birthday and Golden Jubilee Honours, Davis was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.

Davis described herself as a "facilitator rather than a weaver" but noted that she was "committed to weavers and the important role that raranga plays in Māori society".

Davis died on 14 June 2019, and was buried at Whakatāne.