At this week’s #ŌtautahiFuturesCollective #ŌFC gathering Alicia Poroa shared how she facilitated a personal futures wānanga with a group of Māreikura, female Māori leaders from the North Island. She used a number of futures methodologies with deep, personal insights that are so important for us all to consider.
Alicia described using the futures triangle, a futures method designed by Sohail Inayatullah, through a Te Ao Māori lens. Instead of the usual triangle, it was imagined as a reef with the moon pulling the tides. Everything connects, moving away from the mechanical feel of many futures tools.
In this new model, the ‘weight of the past’ becomes a reef, showing how ancestors hold their place while still allowing for change. The moon, or Te Marama, represents the pull towards the future, reflecting the cyclical nature of time in Māori thinking. This makes the concept more relatable, especially when looking at personal futures rather than business futures.
Alicia found that the usual futures language didn’t work well for personal futures, particularly from an indigenous viewpoint. By bringing in Māori concepts like Te Kore (potential) and whakapapa (genealogy), the approach became more meaningful to participants.
A key part of this adapted approach was dealing with intergenerational trauma and its effect on personal futures. Many Māori participants struggled with self-blame about their ‘Māori journey’. By discussing historical events like the Native Schools Act and colonisation, she aimed to help participants break free from these negative narratives.
The challenge of balancing individual (‘I’) and collective (‘we’) futures was also explored. In Māori culture, the idea of ‘we’ is deeply rooted, with individuals seeing themselves as part of a larger group including their whānau (family), hapū (sub-tribe), and iwi (tribe). This affects how personal futures are thought about and planned, often considering the wider community and future generations.
This indigenous approach also included the idea of ‘place-based reality’, emphasising that personal futures are tied to the land and its history. This is especially important in Aotearoa New Zealand, where understanding the historical context matters for both Māori and non-Māori participants.
Alicia’s journey and experience in using the futures triangle reinforced how much cultural context matters in futures thinking. By including Te Ao Māori perspectives, the tool becomes more relevant and effective for participants, allowing for a deeper look at personal and collective futures in the unique setting of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Alicia sharing her experiences with some of the Ōtautahi Futures Collective.
I am privileged to be connected to futures practice that is deeply connected to Aotearoa and Oceania. These are important conversations in understanding the ways in which time works in non-linear ways and where past, present and futures are unbounded. I acknowledge tangata whenua as critical partners in creating a just and fair future. Kia kaha, Kia māia, Kia manawanui | Be strong, be brave, be steadfast.