Aotearoa New Zealand has experienced three waves of colonisation in its dynamic human history. 2,000 years ago the first wave of colonisation began that would see the last un-inhabited islands of the Pacific ocean (and the world) occupied. Those bold and courageous peoples would evolve over 2 millennia into the ancestors of the modern culture now identified and categorised as Maori.

250 years ago the second wave of colonisation commenced with the arrival of a different kind of bold, courageous and rapacious settler to the shores of Aotearoa. The event horizon of that occupation would irreversibly shape the deterioration of the tribes of Aotearoa via the assimilative processes of colonisation and cement the eventual dominion of the colonising immigrants over the lands, estates, communities and politics of what would become globally identified as modern New Zealand society. The historical dialogue, debate and debacle of the rhetoric of governance, autonomy, self-determination and resource management intensified during these formative years. From the signing of The Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 between Maori and the Crown representatives of the Queen of England and the eventual breaking of its promises to the present day where the struggle for restoration, justice and Crown redress of historical grievance experienced by Maori continues to define Maori and Non-Maori relationships.

Maori remain strong, purposeful, intent, dynamic and diverse in 2003 despite the predictions of the colonising settlers that Maori culture would die out, (And we very nearly did). Though changed, adapted and reshaped Maori culture has survived to bare witness with Non-Maori to the third, and perhaps final, wave of colonisation. One that is defined by the face of globalisation and all that that phenomenon brings to our struggling society.

Maori struggle for Governance that empowers Maori communities, Maori autonomy beyond rhetoric and Maori self-determination now enters the 21st century with the challenge of determining how the nation as a whole shall set their sights upon a horizon which includes the welfare of both Maori and Non-Maori in the realisation that unity, and therefore implicitly sustainability, survivability and response-ability, lies in the realisation that our diversity is our strength and that duality exists in the multiplicity of unity.

This presentation will look at the issues, challenges and horizons set before Maori and the Aotearoa/New Zealand socio-cultural future in context to the debate over governance, autonomy, resource management and the spectre that is the horizon event of globalization.