<![CDATA[This study analyzes the electoral participation of the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA) in the 2025 Australian Federal Election as a strategy for Aboriginal political autonomy within a settler-colonial democratic structure. Using a qualitative single case study design with secondary data, findings show IAPA obtained 1.25% of votes in the Northern Territory, electorally limited, yet significant as a form of self- determination outside state-consultative mechanisms. Participation in the formal electoral system simultaneously reveals co-optation dynamics that constrain the party's transformative capacity. IAPA's participation thus reflects a dialectic between the pursuit of independent representation and the structural constraints of contemporary Australian democracy. Keyboards: Indigenous politics, self-determination, co-optation, IAPA, Australia, electoral participation]]>
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