Table 4 Selection of quotes evidencing the presence or absence of each element of self-determination framework

1 Support for these existing elements and changes to others, would enable First Nations Australians’ self-determination to be recognised

1.1 Recognition and support for the role of Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to ensure a First Nations Australia voice

…community-controlled organisation, it’s not like people just sit back passively … people know they can go to … a board member and have it chat to them.

(Community leader #3, female, aged > 51 years)

…you just can’t say that having a board of governance is the only pathway of involving the Aboriginal voice. And that’s because the capturing of policy is driven by the white fathers in the institution… that alone is not going to solve our problems … [you need to] create this pathway and a model … To engage Aboriginal peoples voice on matters.

(Community leader #2, female, aged > 51 years)

… [community-controlled boards] that structure is not a structure …. [it is] there to be able to access government funding … that assimilation model is just the formation of Western model just so that we can access funding … It’s not our structure … Aboriginal people don’t have a hierarchy structure.

(Community leader #1, male, aged > 51 years)

1.2 Recognition throughout all policy development processes that First Nations Australian worldview and collective identity is different from non-Indigenous Australians

-

-

… there is institutionalised racism occurring right across every agency … you’re applying two different approaches or laws within the one system … they’re not respecting the blackfella Community, blackfella culture, way of life.

(Community leader #4, male, aged > 51 years)

1.3 Constitutional recognition of First Nations Australians

-

-

… let the Aboriginal leaders of that nation sought out who their boss is. And if we followed the United Nations structure, we would be more equal.

(Community leader #2, female, aged > 51 years)

1.4 Democratic processes embedded throughout the policy development system

-

-

-

1.5 The sovereignty of First Nations Australians is recognised through treaty/ies with First Nations Australians and state/territory and Australian governments

-

-

-

1.6 Change across the wider government and policy systems to remove the barriers to health and wellbeing (structural determinants of health)

-

-

… [There] needs to be systemic changes at a government level … I just think it’s almost impossible … it’s a big ship going through the ocean, you can’t turn it … it’s a whole social, political, social economic thing which is driven by whitefellas, and that’s why it’s not going to change.

(Community leader #4, male, aged > 51 years)

2 Values underpinning policy development processes for it to be seen as self-determination

2.1 Human rights of First Nations Australians are meaningfully considered and protected

-

…not only black people…[have] drinking problems … white people … just don’t show their problems out in the open.

(Community members #20/#21, females, aged 18–30 years)

… I feel it’s just like the intervention was, very controlling. This is very controlling, and what’s next? … what are they gonna control next in our lives?

(Community member #11/#12, female/ male, aged 31–50 years)

… they [are] saying it’s not racial, but … you can see how racial it is, like, when you go to line up to go in the bottle, or you know, you got to show your ID. You see, white mob just walk straight through.

(Community members #20/#21, females, aged 18–30 years)

2.2 Privileging of First Nations Australian culture and decision-making processes

-

… we have to realise that just having a structure for input from organisations and leaders that are in the organisation is not the only voice [but we] promote the governance structure as being the voice of the people.

(Community leader #2, female, aged > 51 years)

… they [Aboriginal people] should be more involved in decision-making because it’s all about them … They know their cultural decision-making and all that stuff … there’s a lot of people around Alice Springs, in the town camps, [that] can speak up.

(Community member #6/#7, females, aged > 51 + years)

2.3 Priorities and needs of local the First Nations Australian community inform the policy development process

… we were really frustrated … they needed to prioritise police on the outlets [for the community] … it’s a strategy that has had the sort of biggest impact in terms of reducing alcohol consumption and harm … our board was in support of that.

(Community leader #3, female, aged > 51 years)

… we’ve got to find a pathway of developing the people [First Nations Australians] and their voice because we’ve left them behind … they’ve become recipients.

(Community leader #2, female, aged > 51 years)

… [specific organisation] don’t even talk to [their members] so they act in isolation … It’s unaccountable. It’s their own volition … there is no community consultation.

(Community leader #1, male, aged > 51 years)

2.4 Diversity of First Nations Australians is recognised and accepted

-

… that’s hard, because you’ve got you know, Alice Springs is not just our, like, residential. We’ve got our town camps, which are prescribed areas you can’t consume alcohol there.

(Community member #10, female, aged 31–50 years)

… And they are forgetting this could be their third language English.

(Community members #14–#17, group males, aged 18 + years)

Those people [policy makers] know nothing about … The people they prescribe policy for … What would those people know about my life as a stolen generation [person]? … They have food in the fridge, they have a roof over their head, they have a warm bed every night. They have a car to go to work, they have money in the bank, they are able to pay their bills … these are people with power and privilege who talk about people they know nothing about.

(Community leader #1, male, aged > 51 years)

2.5 Improvement of First Nations Australian individuals’ and communities’ lives

-

-

…[there’s] some consequences for people that live in urban housing … if you say no to a family member that you can’t buy alcohol … that person will no longer classes you as family and pushes you aside and that really hurts … or they end up smashing the house or stealing stuff.

(Community member #6/#7, females, aged > 51 + years)

2.6 Process driven and directed by First Nations Australians leadership and governance

-

-

… we’ve left them [First Nations Australians] behind … they’ve become recipients and data is a way of driving policy change … I think it’s healthy, to find facilitate ways of having input.

(Community leader #2, female, aged > 51 years)

2.7 First Nations Australians have influence and power over the process

-

-

I think making decisions for Aboriginal First Nations Peoples needs to include us – First nations people. If it’s got to be dealing with Aboriginal Peoples issues, it’s got to come from Aboriginal People. It’s not for the non-Indigenous people to making decisions for [us]. (Traditional owner #8, female aged > 51 years)

3 Self-determination in alcohol policy requires policy makers to use processes in which First Nations Australians are….

3.1 involved in the policy-making process

-

to have a voice heard … [but] Which is voice to be heard … It’s complex … not one institution is really going to be structurally able to address this situation means people have to come together.

(Community leader #2, female, aged > 51 years)

… Aboriginal men have been excluded from being part of the process mainly because I don’t want to talk to white people about drinking … men are powerless [in] the way policy is developed.

(Community members #14–#17, group males, aged 18 + years)

[The] government sort of dictating to us and overruling the rights for us to either purchase alcohol or drinking in an environment where you are allowed to.

(Community member #6/#7, females, aged > 51 + years)

3.1.1 consulted early in the policy-making process

-

-

-

3.1.2 involved in co-design or co-development of policy

-

-

-

3.1.3 involved in monitoring and evaluating the policy

-

-

… I’d like to know how long this BDR [banned drinkers register] thing gonna go [on for]. And I would like to know if they need feedback to community people on the findings of the data, and what are they going to use it for? And are they continue with all this stuff, putting pressure on people living in urban housing.

(Community member #6/#7, females, aged > 51 + years)

Did you know how many non-Indigenous IDs [identification] has been tracked, compared to an Indigenous ID?

(Community member #6/#7, females, aged > 51 + years)

3.2 are given adequate time for decision making

-

-

-

3.3 given feedback promptly and in a suitable format

It’s not just Aboriginal people. It’s across the board … if you were to break it down stat by stat … the facts are this percentage of people are committing alcohol-related offences.

(Community member #13, male, aged 31–50 years)

Female 1: Did anybody get any feedback from the data that’s been collected?…

Female 2: According to the data … it’s smooth. It’s all down … And it’s all under control. Not all the policy that they put in place for us does work. Because [they don’t] know what it’s like to live in a town camp.

(Community member #6/#7, females, aged > 51 + years)

3.4 resourced and funded to be included at all stages

-

-

-

3.5 able to hold policy makers accountable

-

-

…Aboriginal people aren’t allowed to say how they want to address it … we shouldn’t be measuring the impact of alcohol policy on Aboriginal people by looking at … [it] needs to be measured [in the way that Aboriginal] people want to have the policy or how it’s going to be useful to them.

(Community member #5, female, aged > 51 + years)

3.6 & policy makers can develop and build trust throughout

-

-

-

3.7 two-way sharing (decision-making power and being informed of what has worked elsewhere)

-

-

-

3.8 local culture and languages are considered and adjusted for in the policy-making process

-

…[community-control] becomes captured by corporate governance, which is whitefella law … Aboriginal law and leadership operates in a totally different construct … within that Aboriginal construct, there are layers and different voices.

(Community leader #2, female, aged > 51 years)

Female 1: Like you can’t even go sit down in town camps anymore with your family because they’ve got the restrictions there.

Female 2: Yeah, all the time. You could be sitting at a big bunch outside just talking story and then [police pull up], question everything in the gammin and search around.

(Community members #20/#21, females, aged 18–30 years)

4 Self-determination in alcohol policy development requires decision-making processes that…

4.1 involves First Nations Australians

… [we’ve had] dedicated workshops on alcohol policy … what are our views? what is everyone’s views about a floor price? … what are the things that are good and need changing?

(Community leader #3, female, aged > 51 years)

-

They don’t talk to people … It’s not hard to sit down and talk to people, because people we all got the same problems … we’ve all got to work with people to make this town a better place for people live in.

(Traditional owner #8, female aged > 51 years)

… there was a level of Aboriginal input, I wouldn’t call it self-determination because there never was self-determination.

(Community leader #4, male, aged > 51 years)

4.1.1 are defined and led by First Nations Australians

-

-

We [First Nations Australians] should be all pulling together making decisions … it’s not about people, non-indigenous people mistrusting First Nations people …. it’s like the laws are all packed up against [us].

(Traditional owner #8, female aged > 51 years)

4.2 are participatory and transparent for all parties

-

-

Female 1: … it’s all to do with what the what non-Indigenous mob bring in without consulting the Indigenous mob … then when Indigenous people trying to make the changes and present something to you know, we don’t know if it gets heard or if it’s not even relevant for them little agenda …

Female 2: … there are a lot of non-Indigenous, as well as some Indigenous, that say … this doesn’t work … You never hear government say “oh, that didn’t work” …

(Community member #6/#7, females, aged > 51 + years)

4.3 are evaluated and monitored, with prompt response to feedback

-

-

… we all switch off because we’re sick and tired of hearing [from] that person.

(Community members #14–#17, group males, aged 18 + years)

Female 1: So is there is there is there anything to say that this thing is working? You know, you say more or less alcohol is sold

Female 2: no feedback

Female 1: …how much alcohol is sold every month.

(Community member #6/#7, females, aged > 51 + years)

4.4 recognises cultural obligations and expectations of First Nations Australians

…The upside to it is that people know, they can go to … a board member … That’s what I think is really fantastic about community-controlled organisations.

(Community leader #3, female, aged > 51 years)

-

… [First Nations Australians] need to know that they can have autonomy. And you can still speak … As a leader in your own right … some of these institutions do have good connections to people in the community and not everybody wants to speak about issues.

(Community leader #2, female, aged > 51 years)

Are you going to be sharing it with anyone? … when I’m drinking my family would drink me … I rather [they are] drinking at my place and then crashin’ here.

(Community member #19, female. Aged 18–30 years)

4.5 are adapted for local context

-

-

-

5 At implementation, alcohol policy should include approaches that ensures it…

5.1 is evaluated and monitored, with prompt response to feedback

-

Male: … they said … statistics [have] come down.

Female: [But] you wouldn’t say it’s significantly… impacted and made a huge difference.

(Community member #11/#12, female/ male, aged 31–50 years)

And there’s a responsibility of the Indigenous organisations to ensure that their constituents know precisely what it is. From in town … and out bush, which means it’s got to be done in language.

(Community leader #4, male, aged > 51 years)

5.2 involves First Nations Australians in resource allocation decision-making

-

-

… they [have] basically taken away responsibility in any policy development initiatives, including alcohol, taken away [those controls] at a local level … It’s got to be run by Indigenous people delivered by Indigenous people and based on Aboriginal cultural considerations.

(Community leader #4, male, aged > 51 years)

5.3 is not discriminatory against First Nations Australians’ human rights

-

… I believe that the rules of not allowing people to purchase alcohol [are appropriate] … Every single person on Centrelink should not be allowed to purchase alcohol … if you want to drink, you work like the rest of us, and then you’ve earnt it.

(Community member #10, female, aged 31–50 years)

… we just need to be informed and empowered of certain information … You know, human rights.

(Community member #19, female. Aged 18–30 years)

… [it doesn’t] matter you’re working 37.5 (hours), you’re paying a mortgage, or you live in a public housing … If you’re Aboriginal, you’re in that group … Aboriginal people are targeted and that’s unfair.

(Community member #6/#7, females, aged > 51 + years)

5.4 is respectful of the priorities of First Nations Australians and their communities

…. I want it to be a bit more strict. I reckon if you get banned from for take-away, you should be banned from going into the pub.

(Community members #14–#17, group males, aged 18 + years)

-

… it’s okay to say let’s turn the tap down, but what about the trauma that’s being left for communities to try and deal with people that have an addiction … we can’t just turn the tap down without ignoring the underlying cause … it is a symptom.

(Community leader #2, female, aged > 51 years)

5.5 results in changes desired by the affected community

… I guess it’s [the Banned drinkers register] a double-edged sword. you asked women … and they will tell you that the BDR did what it was meant to do … It keeps him [husband] from spending the money on the grog.

(Community member #10, female, aged 31–50 years)

-

Female 1: … this will bring in more pressure on house owners, people that live in a public [housing]

Female 2: … and it’s actually dividing families.

Female 1 … So who’s responsible for that consequence?… house-owner or house-boss of that urban house could end up going crazy because of all that pressure from family members and cause the violence this is what nobody is not thinking about. The consequences of what happened … the pressure they put on their family members.

(Community member #6/#7, females, aged > 51 + years)

5.6 involves First Nations Australians in implementation decision-making

… [with] # members; we’ve got a board that’s elected or appointed by the members. So, any policy on alcohol has to go to the board … basically [that] sets the parameters around Aboriginal engagement for the organisation around alcohol policy.

(Community leader #3, female, aged > 51 years)

-

… we don’t want white people speaking on our behalf anymore. It’s not white people’s issue, they can hide it. But or mob, all of us get humbugged every day.

(Community members #14–#17, group males, aged 18 + years)