Impact assessment faces a number of key challenges. One area singled out as needing attention is community-based impact assessment. Impact assessment related to Indigenous communities is a particular case in point. We lend an Indigenous voice to this conversation. The emerging field of Indigenous impact assessment is under-developed compared to other forms of IA, particularly in terms of its theoretical foundation. In the article we address that gap by highlighting the current conundrum in Indigenous practice, exemplified in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. Then we base our deliberation in an Indigenous worldview, applying Indigenous planning theory to impact assessment. Indigenous planning theory has an explicit decolonising agenda that supports communities to reclaim traditional planning approaches. We provide key parameters for establishing a theoretical and practical space for Indigenous IA, and for conceptualising the relationship between Indigenous IA other forms of IA. We argue for a ‘third space’ that facilitates co-existence of different forms of IA activity rather than integration of Indigenous endeavours into broader IA types. In doing so, we demonstrate the potential of Indigenous planning theory to connect international dialogue and case studies on Indigenous impact assessment, and to broaden and deepen IA theory and practice.

影响评估面临许多关键挑战。基于社区的影响评估是需要注意的一个领域。与土著社区有关的影响评估就是一个很好的例子。我们在这次对话中表达了土著的声音。与其他形式的内部审计相比，土著影响评估这一新兴领域的发展还不够，特别是在其理论基础方面。在本文中，我们通过强调新西兰土著实践中当前的难题来解决这一差距。然后，我们根据土著世界观进行审议，将土著计划理论应用于影响评估。土著规划理论有一个明确的非殖民化议程，支持社区收回传统的规划方法。我们为建立土著IA的理论和实践空间以及概念化土著IA其他形式的IA之间的关系提供了关键参数。我们主张建立“第三空间”，以促进不同形式的IA活动的共存，而不是将土著努力整合为更广泛的IA类型。通过这样做，我们展示了土著计划理论在连接国际对话和土著影响评估案例研究以及扩展和深化信息IA理论和实践方面的潜力。