Tauututu: White Paper

This white paper explores the principle and practice of Tauutuutu. Tauutuutu is an indigenous concept that places an ethical obligation on communities and enterprises to emphasise balance, reciprocity, and symbiosis in their social and environmental relationships. In the 40 years following European contact, and during early colonisation, Tauutuutu was the engine of rapid economic growth and capital accumulation across many hapū. From the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, Tauutuutu continued to play an important role in local subsistence economies and provided a ‘social welfare’ net for communities.

Today, Tauutuutu ethics are still visible in the new class of land-based Māori enterprise characterised by successful land trusts, incorporations, and iwi corporations known nationally for their environmental leadership, social responsibility, innovation, and profitability.