This paper provides a summary of some of the issues that arise from the operation of the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA), an initiative of controversial Aboriginal activist, Noel Pearson. The paper concludes that the recent turmoil in the Aurukun community tells us little one way or the other about the efficacy of the educational model employed at the local school. As a noteworthy and controversial initiative in the important area of Aboriginal education, however, the operation of the CYAAA deserves to be the subject of ongoing examination and review. A definitive assessment of the CYAAA is fraught with complexities and difficulties and simplistic pronouncements from both supporters and critics of the academy have been less than helpful. A Department of Education and Training review, on the other hand, identifies that there are some significant problems with the way in which the school is currently operating and provides a useful starting point for improvement.