The Logic of the Flock: A Visual for Collective Governance

At dusk, a flock of birds becomes a single, moving organism—shifting, flowing, responding. No one bird stays at the front for long. There is no fixed leader, no command structure—only participation. Each bird follows simple, shared principles: stay close, don’t collide, respond to those nearby. Direction emerges through connection, not control. The flock moves as one because all are present, attuned, and engaged.

Flocks, like tribes, merge and diverge. Leadership is not static but shared, arising and dissolving as needed. This is polycentric coordination: instinctive, adaptive, and relational. You don’t engage an individual—you engage the flock, the tribe, the collective. It’s not about hierarchy, but harmony. Not about command, but coordination.

This is the governance logic Mātou seeks to enable. Our proposal is not about imposing new ways of organising—but about offering tools that reflect and respect the ways Indigenous communities already govern: with many centres, many voices, and movement shaped by shared purpose and the moment in time.