Maximising the benefits: indigenous governance structures

Synexe has been undertaking a multi-year study across Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America looking at how indigenous groups across these four countries are working to create effective and culturally appropriate governance structures.

Over the last 10-15 years indigenous groups in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA have begun to receive settlements for in an attempt to settle long standing grievances. However, in order to receive these settlements and ensure the legitimacy of their claim indigenous groups are being forced to adopt certain forms of organisational structures.

The problem here is that that the Anglo-American corporate models (variants of which are being promoted as the model to be utilized by various indigenous groups within settler societies) do not necessarily provide the best vehicle for the provision of the needs and aspirations of indigenous groups.

The adoption of inappropriate organisational structures and processes – and ultimately values – could in fact be one of the biggest threats facing indigenous groups. This project is exploring these tensions. Working with groups across these four countries we are looking at what is working; what is not working; why this is the case; and how this came to be.