Indigenous Developments: Looking Back to Move Forward

Abstract

Kuiwai e! Haungaroa e! Ka riro au i te Tonga. Tukuna mai te ahi! (O Kuiwai, O Haungaroa, I am seized by the cold wind to the south, send me fire!) When Ngatoroirangi called from the summit of Mt Tongariro to his sisters in Hawaiki for warmth, his sisters sent the siblings Te Hoata and Te Pupu who brought forth the embers of Ruamoko and geothermal fluid to Aotearoa New Zealand. This legend speaks to a symbiotic relationship between Maori and the geothermal resource that still exists today. For centuries Maori have used the natural geothermal springs for healing, warmth and cooking. In the 21st century Maori, led in many cases by dynamic Maori women, continue to define their role in the development of geothermal in New Zealand. Roles which are both cultural and environmental kaitiaki as well as commercial guardians for the economic betterment of current and future generations. The paper will consider the different forms and commercial structures of geothermal development Maori have chosen and are participating in. As well as the lessons which can be learnt when working for or negotiating with indigenous peoples, from the Maori experience. It will also consider the role of Maori women in those developments and the definition of sustainable developments from an indigenous perspective.