He Waka Eke Noa: Navigating AI Futures with Aboriginal and Māori Knowledge

As nascent artificial intelligence (AI) technologies like large language models (LLMs) begin shaping our societal structures and decision-making processes, their governance remains rooted in Western paradigms that often marginalise Indigenous perspectives and rights. This paper examines the critical role of Indigenous sovereignty, knowledge systems, and relational ethics in transforming AI governance in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Through an interdisciplinary literature review and comparative analysis of three pioneering Indigenous-led AI initiatives, we argue that decolonising AI demands a fundamental rethinking of the values, assumptions, and power relations underpinning dominant AI systems.Our study employs a qualitative, multi-method approach, including in-depth case studies of the Indigenous Protocol and AI Working Group, Te Mana Raraunga, and Te Hiku Media. Drawing on these cases, we propose a framework for Indigenous AI governance grounded in principles of sovereignty, reciprocity, and collective benefit.