In most governance meetings we are so busy managing the risks of the present that we rarely make time to consider the future. The ability to define, to help organisations and communities define a clear future destination and navigate an increasingly disruptive world are all key responsibilities of governance but are very rarely practiced. This kōrero will explore the challenges we face as Māori in reclaiming the future and our ability to move beyond sustaining what is, to imagine a new and better alternative future – where rangatiratanga lies.

Dr. Eruera (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Apanui) has a strong background in te reo, tikanga, and language revitalisation. He is currently Chair of Te Māngai Pāho and has extensive experience across Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and governance including as Executive Director for Tokona te Raki: Māori Futures Collective.

He was a First Nations Future Fellow at Stanford University in 2011 and was awarded his PhD in 2015 for his study of indigenous organization, their design and ow they balance culture and commerce. Most important, Dr. Eruera is the father of four tamariki raised in te reo who are his driving force in language revitalisation efforts and his reality check on how younger generations are choosing to express themselves and their culture through te reo.