By Nigel Chee*
The US Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Symposium was held at Parliament in October. Photo: RNZ / Emma Andrews
Opinion - Māori economy is growing significantly faster than the overall economy. It is currently worth around $70 billion and is projected to be worth over $100b by 2030. This is an expression of Māori economic sovereignty.
This is the very real contribution of Māori to society in Aotearoa.
These advancements have relied on the sheer tenacity and perserverance of Māori through adversity. However, Māori are not alone. Our history of suppression, and in some cases, attempts to terminate, reflects the suffering of our indigenous brothers and sisters around the world.
Last week, I shared time with indigenous tribal leaders from the US to discuss our shared experiences in search of collective solutions utilising our strengths as indigenous people.
Previously, I have visited these tribal nations where the constitution of the US recognises their sovereignty alongside the sovereignty of the Federal and State systems. Yes, their constitution recognises them as sovereign, and yes, they are ahead of us here in Aotearoa. It is almost unbelievable given the domestic politics of the US and the upcoming election.
It is this framework that underpins the actions of the economic, political and cultural sovereignty approach to tribal development in the US. These tribes are forward looking in the way they see and interact with the world around them.
Economically, tribes are outward looking, trading domestically and internationally, amongst other tribes, with domestic business partners and across international trading routes, much like our ancestors.
Settlements with their government, much like the Aotearoa experience, has allowed them to grow and develop their asset base, in turn, allowing them to leverage returns for their people. Yes, they still have a long way to go, like us here in Aotearoa, but their contribution is fundamental to the growth of the economy which then contributes to the development of the overall economy.
They have social interests that span health, education, justice, housing and social investment. They own their own health care facilities, schools, police forces and courts, road works and supermarkets to name a few. They also have an extensive range of commercial interests that have allowed them to accelerate their growth. Yes it includes casinos, but they have diversified since those early days. For some tribes, their revenues are now driven by the work they gain through the government's preferred procurement strategy where some tribes provide support to the US army.
We can enable the same here in Aotearoa, merely by allowing Māori to maintain their economic trajectory. Why would we want to dampen the enthusiasm of an economy accelerating at a pace much faster than the overall economy?
Māori, like our US counterparts are seeking to maximise the returns on their own investments. In some cases, they are working together to make progress on areas requiring significant gain, for example housing. But they are also collaborating to create leverage for the collective.
The National Iwi Chairs Forum have developed a singular economic strategy to guide the unified actions of its iwi members and provide a focus for change. Individual iwi like Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu have long standing interntional partnerships. More iwi are following.
While there is a lot that the government could do to help speed up this process, there is more that iwi can do by just doing what they are doing. Imagine what economic policy settings that proactively supported Māori would do to set the Māori economy on fire, more than it currently is doing.
What we have learned from our experiences with our indigenous brothers and sisters is that we have made a difference and continue to make a difference and with the right support can continue to make a bigger difference without threatening the sovereignty of any others in the same country.
Seeing is believing. The people of indian country in the US are leading the way, in a way that causes no harm to others. Can we do it here in Aotearoa? Yes we can, if we allow the Māori sovereign nation, recognised in the 1835 Declaration of Independence, to continue to evolve, innovate and execute economic strategies that lift the well-being of their people and therefore the well-being of all.
It's a tired statement but "what is good for Māori, is good for everyone". Are we really too afraid to allow Māori to thrive so that we can all thrive too?
Nigel Chee is of Waikato, Ngāti Haua and Ngāti Tūwharetoa descent. He has had extensive experience in executive management and management consultancy. Former interim deputy chief executive, Te Aka Whai Ora. Currently working for Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
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