Policy for self-determination: the case study of ATSIC
This website is a research output of the Australian Research Council 'Policy for self-determination: the case study of ATSIC'. DP230100714 — University of Technology Sydney
This project aims to provide a focused study of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (1990-2005) to inform Indigenous policy-making and governance in Australia. Utilising interdisciplinary approaches and a national perspective it will analyse how, and in what context, the Commission functioned and document the stories of those involved. Expected outcomes of the project include detailed data on the successes and challenges of the organisation and a set of Indigenous oral histories/biographies that will inform public and political debate. This history will benefit and change the way Indigenous governance is understood, discussed, remembered and formulated in contemporary Australian society.
Project National Interest Test Statement:
The question of Indigenous political representation and recognition, and policy concerning Indigenous governance, are pressing national priorities in Australia that resonate in global challenges of Indigenous restitution. Australian Indigenous leaders are calling for a new contract with the state, including a voice, representation and truth-telling, and the Federal government has signalled the need for sustainable change, deeper partnerships and an evidence-based approach. A detailed study of ATSIC, the most enduring Indigenous governing body in the last fifty years of a volatile policy landscape, will provide critical data, evidence and background needed for these goals. In a context of ongoing crises in Indigenous affairs, including the failure to meet targets to ‘close the gap’, this project will provide a valuable snapshot of Indigenous and governmental aspirations and practices under self-determination, of what worked and what didn’t and why. An innovative Indigenous research methodology will inform Indigenous policy studies into the future.