This course examines public policy through the lens of the relationships between First Nations Peoples and the settler state in Australia. The course will explore the shifting relations between First Nations Peoples and Commonwealth and State and Territory governments from invasion until today. It  traces settler state and Indigenous approaches to public policy. Students will analyse significant public policies which affect First Nations Peoples and gain insight into First Peoples diverse perspectives on these policies.

The course equips students to develop insight into how public policy affects First Nations Peoples differently. It investigates the public policy objectives of governments and how these relate to the rights and aspirations of First Nations Peoples. It introduces students to the competing interests and key agents that shape the development, implementation, and delivery of public policies that affect First Nations Peoples, including First Nations activism for policy change.

The course examines a number of contemporary case studies to illustrate a range of approaches to public policy. The course is delivered by First Nations and non-Indigenous experts in a range of public policy fields, including scholars, policy practitioners, and community knowledge holders.

Topics may include analysese of policy and perspectives in relation to: self-determination and sovereignty, Indigenous Voices to parliament and governments, shared decision making and Closing the Gap, First Nations Peoples – state relations, land and water management, climate change, economic development, Indigenous entrepreneurship, social security and employment,  and Indigenous prosperity.