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Introduction to TribalDAOs

Welcome to the TribalDAO tutorial. This guide will walk you through what a TribalDAO is, how it works, and why it can be a powerful container for Indigenous communities to coordinate, govern, and grow — all on your own terms.

TribalDAOs are flexible. You can start small, grow over time, and shape them around your community's kaupapa. Whether you're managing land, organising a whānau trust, or planning a new kaupapa, a TribalDAO gives your collective a shared digital space to make decisions together.

What is a TribalDAO?​

A TribalDAO is a Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO) that helps Indigenous communities coordinate and govern collectively using digital tools. It doesn’t replace tikanga or your existing structures — it supports them. It gives your people a digital “home” to make decisions, manage resources, and move together in a transparent, accountable way.

These DAOs can evolve alongside your needs — you don’t need everything figured out from the start. Think of it as a container for your kaupapa that grows with your community.

Watch this video for a brief explanation from one of our founding contributors

Why use a TribalDAO?​

TribalDAOs are designed to support your community, not control it. Here's what they enable:

  • Community Control: Everyone has a voice — no single person or group holds all the power.
  • Transparency: Every decision is tracked and recorded for everyone to see.
  • Cultural Fit: The DAO can be shaped by your tikanga, values, and existing practices.
  • Collective Action: Easily make proposals, vote, and move forward on shared goals.
  • Sovereign Infrastructure: You own the process, the tools, and the outcomes.

How Does a TribalDAO Work?​

TribalDAO Overview Diagram

Here’s a simple path your community might take to get started:

1. Gather the Right People​

Start with your whānau, hapū, trustees, or community leaders. Who needs to be involved? What kaupapa do you want to support?

2. Agree on Purpose​

Why are you starting this DAO? What decisions will be made here? Keep it simple — you can expand later.

3. Set Governance Rules​

Decide how your community will make decisions — voting systems, proposal rules, kaitiaki roles, and any values you want to embed.

4. Create the Platform​

Launch your DAO on a digital platform. This is where you'll submit proposals, vote, and store records. You can start with lightweight tools or go straight to blockchain-based platforms.

5. Onboard Members​

Invite the right people. You might verify whakapapa, land ownership, or trust membership depending on your kaupapa.

6. Propose & Vote​

Members can suggest ideas, vote on them, and move forward. This keeps everyone involved and accountable.

7. Execute & Record​

Once a decision is made, it’s acted on and recorded transparently — building trust and a clear record of your journey.

8. Adapt & Grow​

As your needs change, so can your DAO. Update rules, add features, and bring in new voices as you go.

Real-World Examples​

TribalDAOs can support many kaupapa — here are some ways they’re already being used:

  • Whenua Management: Making transparent decisions about land use, lease agreements, or papakāinga housing.
  • Whānau Trusts: Coordinating trust decisions with all beneficiaries involved.
  • Marae Committees: Managing funding, events, and tikanga-based governance online.
  • Cultural Projects: Preserving mātauranga, planning wānanga, or protecting iwi IP.
  • Social Enterprises: Running a business that aligns with hapū or iwi values.

Who Can Use a TribalDAO?​

TribalDAOs are for anyone organising around shared values or assets:

  • Indigenous communities (iwi, hapū, marae, whānau trusts)
  • Trusts and collectives managing land or taonga
  • Cultural and economic projects led by Indigenous people
  • Entrepreneurs and organisers who want to build transparent, accountable systems

Whether you're starting a new kaupapa or adapting existing structures, a TribalDAO helps bring your people together around shared purpose — in a way that's future-facing and grounded in who you are.

You don’t have to do everything at once. Just start where you are, with the people you have, and a kaupapa you care about.