九州影院

Photo caption:听Dr Matthew Scobie (Ng膩i Tahu) from the UC Business School.听

Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha | 九州影院 (UC) Senior Lecturer (Ng膩i Tahu) outlines possibilities for a more socially and environmentally just economy in a book co-authored with UC alumni Dr Anna Sturman, from the University of Sydney. is published by Bridget Williams Books.

Dr Scobie and Dr Sturman demonstrate the possibilities of integrating M膩ori values into contemporary economic practices to address pressing issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and inequality.听

鈥淲hile many corporations are adopting M膩ori values like kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and manaakitanga (hospitality), there is significant untapped potential in applying a broader Indigenous economies approach towards transforming institutions,鈥� Dr Scobie says.

The book delves into how M膩ori organised their economies, where some things were broadly similar to today, but many aspects were very different. The exploration includes features such as rights and resource use, obligations, exchange, labour and distribution.听

For example, individual wealth accumulation and compensation through wages didn鈥檛 exist as we know them today.听

鈥淭here were different forms of labour that maintained the dignity of the individual and the dignity of the collective,鈥� Dr Scobie says. 鈥淓ven leaders who had a lot of power only maintained their status because wealth flowed through their hands to their community, rather than stopping with them. They maintained and increased their own mana by maintaining and increasing the mana of others.鈥�

The book then explores the historical relationship between colonialism and capitalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and contemporary M膩ori economic practices within, against and beyond the current dominant model.听

鈥淢膩ori economies can stabilise capitalism by providing care for people and places that capitalism needs but does not value, but this care for people and place can be used to demonstrate the possibility of alternative futures,鈥� Dr Scobie adds.听

Dr Scobie grew up in Christchurch and reconnected with his Ng膩i Tahu heritage during his time at UC. 鈥淢y journey began with mentorship from and continued through close work with the Ng膩i Tahu Research Centre,鈥� he says. This personal and academic exploration led to his PhD research on accountability within Ng膩i Tahu and eventually a lecturing position at the UC Business School where he teaches managing corporate responsibility and topics in Indigenous economics.