This study examined Indigenous engagement with the state through the experience of Western Arrernte men and women as they encountered three of the reforms introduced under the Commonwealth’s contentious 2007 Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER). The study found that if government commitment to Aboriginal engagement in national policy is to be more than feel-good fuzz words, government policy and engagement practice on the ground needs to recognise the interrelationship between Aboriginal agency, Aboriginal constructions of wellbeing, and Aboriginal voice. Aboriginal capability for voice is effectively ignored despite its critical role in informing Indigenous choices and design of government programs.

Annie Kennedy, Southern Cross University (Tazia Pty Ltd).