Indigenous autonomy matters: what's wrong with the Australian government's ‘intervention’ in Aboriginal communities

Abstract

On 21 June 2007, the (then) Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, announced an ‘emergency intervention’ into Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. The intervention was justified as a crisis response to allegations of widespread child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities, allegations contained in the Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle: ‘Little Children Are Sacred’ report. The terms of the intervention were far-ranging, including the quarantining of welfare payments, new alcohol restrictions, compulsory health checks for children, and the acquisition of townships by the government through five-year leases. This article argues that the neo-paternalism of the federal intervention ..