ABSTRACT
Minerals in Aotearoa New Zealand are regulated by the Crown Minerals Act, 1991 (the CMA). Like other statutes in New Zealand, the CMA recognizes Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi), signed by the British and Māori in 1840, and therefore the relationship between Māori and the lands and resources governed by the Act. The Treaty relationship continues to play a crucial role in conflicts about land and resources and is central to the practice of decolonization for Māori. However, as we argue, the governance of relationships between people and minerals, as foundational elements of material systems, extend much further to the Māori legal orders developed throughout Aotearoa.
