我們先由自然法的傳統到實證法的國際法遞嬗，考察原住民族的主權是如何在歷史發展中被學者的論述消滅，也就是以無主之地的說法，來合理化墾殖國如何取得原住民族的主權。接著又檢視原住民族主權如何被當代的學者重新了解、詮釋、以及建構，也就是從原住民族權利著手，挑戰國家主權至上的規範，要求重新思考原住民族主權的內涵、以及如何實踐。最後，我們會檢視美國、澳洲、紐西蘭、以及加拿大等墾殖國的做法，也就是大體否定原住民族有外部主權，而內部主權也是作限制性的解釋，也就是將自決權作自治權解釋。
We start with the development of international law from the tradition of natural law to positive law, and look into how indigenous sovereignty had been extinguished by scholar' discourse, that is, how settler's state had obtained indigenous sovereignty by resorting to the notion of terra nullius. We will then investigate how indigenous sovereignty has been understood, interpreted, and constructed by contemporary scholars, who would challenge the supremacy of state sovereignty and demand reconsideration of indigenous sovereignty and its exercise. Finally, we will examine how the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada have chosen to implement indigenous sovereignty, that is denying indigenous peoples' external sovereignty while allowing for the right to self-determination in the sense of right to self-government.
