Abstract
This paper examines how the principle of self-determination has been institutionally implemented
and transformed within Aboriginal art policy in Australia, with a particular focus on the Northern
Territory since the 2000s. Taking the National Aboriginal Art Gallery project in Alice Springs as a case
study, it explores the gap between policy ideals and administrative practices by analyzing government
documents, parliamentary records, and legal judgments.
While the principle of self-determination has been officially embraced in cultural policy frameworks,
its implementation often remains shaped by state-led decision-making processes. This study highlights
the limits of institutional inclusion and reveals how Indigenous participation has been constrained within
bureaucratic procedures, particularly in the processes of site selection and a state tribunal ruling in the
Northern Territory. By critically tracing these developments, the paper sheds light on issues around
how the principle of self-determination has been reconfigured under contemporary policy logic and seeks
to contribute to historical understandings of Indigenous policy and cultural governance in Australia.
