Lambert, Simon J.2020-05-072014-04-11https://hdl.handle.net/10182/11837Disasters provide useful if tragic frames of reference by which society can judge is abilities to plan, build, respond, protect and help its members recover from what were once called acts of god but could be better understood as immanent to our occupation of this planet. Certainly in strategies of disaster risk reduction (DRR) we can observe the configurations of social decisions that revolve around the allocation of scarce resources. This paper argues Indigenous Peoples offer fundamental competencies in DRR through a) their knowledge of environmental hazards; b) traditional institutions, networks and practices during a disaster, and c) a growing (if still minor) role in ethical disaster recovery. I use the term ‘opportunities and obligations of efficiency’ as a provocation, knowing that many of my Maori and Indigenous peers would rail against any suggestion that Indigenous communities should somehow contribute to wider societal productivity and efficiency. But I think we can make a business case for Indigenous Peoples being integral to many if not most national debates on DRR; and for Aotearoa/New Zealand in particular to provide an exemplary case study of this important and perhaps vital strategy for societal resilience.enresiliencedisaster researchMaorienvironmental hazardsIndigenous communitiesOral Presentation