Matou Governance Model
Version 3.0
This document outlines the Mātou Collective Governance Model. It summarises the decision making process and systems, roles and responsibilities, and cultural values that guide shape it.
🏛️ Mātou Collective Governance Model
Mātou Collective’s governance model is a system designed to build shared purpose and collective participation, while staying grounded in culture, relationships and community.
🌱 Governance Features
| Feature | Description | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Decisions are made by the community through participatory processes. | Community and Contributor Houses are member-based voting systems for key decisions, ensuring representation and input. |
| Polycentric | Governance is distributed among multiple centres of decision-making. | Implemented through the three-house model where the Elders Council, Community and Contributor Houses hold distinct, autonomous powers. |
| Culturally grounded | Governance structures and decisions are anchored in Indigenous cultural values and protocols. | All proposals undergo Elder review for cultural oversight and feedback. The Elders council can veto any proposals that don't align culturally. |
| Quadratic | Voting power scales non-linearly to prevent dominance by large holders. | Both houses use quadratic voting for proposals, allowing broader participation and reducing undue influence from large stakeholders. |
| Cardinal | Voters can express how passionately they support or oppose a proposal. | Voters can decide how much of their voting power they would like to spend for or against a proposal |
| On-chain | Governance actions are recorded and executed via blockchain technology. | Proposals, votes, and treasury actions are logged on-chain for transparency, and implementation workflows are anchored to DAO smart contracts. |
🛖 🏠 🏯 Three-House System
| House | Role | Who Participates |
|---|---|---|
| Elders Council | Maintains collective culture and values | Community elders, cultural and spiritual leaders |
| Community House | Sets vision, strategies and treasury priorities | Tribal and Community Representatives |
| Contributor House | Executes strategies approved by the community house and manages operations | Contributors to Mātou Collective DAO |
✅ Mātou Collective prioritises communities over contributors
✅ Elders have cultural veto power on misaligned actions.
More information on Three House Governance Model
🧑🤝🧑 Key Roles & Responsibilities
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Elders Council
Provide cultural oversight, hold permanent or long-term roles, and can veto proposals that breach tikanga or kaupapa.
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Community Representatives
Elected by each TribalDAO; speak for their people; serve fixed terms (e.g., 2 years), elections and representation terms are determined by the community, vote on proposals that fall within the community house.
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Collective Contributors
Individuals doing ongoing work (dev, ops, strategy); vote on proposals that fall in the community house. Voting rights acquired through proven contribution.
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Stewards
Recognised leaders in a particular area of DAO operations. Oversee working groups and ensure smooth operation across houses.
🗳️ Proposals, Decisions, and Projects Process
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Proposal creation
Members surface ideas, clarify and validate them with community. Proposal are created and submitted with the support of Governance Stewards
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Proposal voting
Proposals are stewarded through the different houses for review, feedback and decision making. Each house has its own focus and decision making process.
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Project preparation
Approved proposals are allocated to a Project Stewards to support the implementation
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Project contribution
The Project Steward manages project contributions and contributors in alignment with the proposal resources and outcomes
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Contribution reward
Contributors are rewarded for their contributions to implement a proposal