Politicians and leaders have responded to the death of Indigenous leader Yunupingu in northeast Arnhem Land.

April 3, 2023

KEY QUOTES ON THE DEATH OF INDIGENOUS LEADER YUNUPINGU

“Yunupingu walked in two worlds with authority, power and grace, and he worked to make them whole – together … With his passing, consider what we have lost. A leader. A statesman.”

– Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“He was Australian of the Year way back in 1978 and was one of the most significant leaders for two decades of First Nations people across this country. He fought with a passion for his people, for land, for identity, and he loved this country.”

– Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney

“We acknowledge the life and legacy of not just a great Indigenous Australian, but one of our greatest Australians.”

– Opposition Leader Peter Dutton

“Yunupingu was a visionary who cared deeply for people and our home here in the Northern Territory … His legacy will never be bested and it is my hope it continues for generations to come.”

– NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles

“Yunupingu’s legacy is immeasurable and will endure in the memory of all Australian people, especially the Yolngu people, for generations.”

– Labor senator Pat Dodson

“He was in the frontline of the fight for land rights. Those days were tough. But he was tougher. Governments and everyone opposed us all the way. He took the fight to the streets, to Canberra and to the High Court many times.

– Northern Land Council Chair Samuel Bush-Blanasi

“He always attempted to find the humanity in people. He encouraged Aboriginal leaders … to set goals such as constitutional recognition and find a way to achieve it.”

– Indigenous academic Marcia Langton

“Yunupingu’s fire illuminated us all. May it be a beacon of inspiration for generations to come.”

– US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy

“A giant of the nation whose contribution to public life spanned seven decades, he was first and foremost a leader of his people, whose welfare was his most pressing concern and responsibility,”

– Youth Yindi Foundation

“A life of strength, quiet and loud, that can be best understood by recognising he led a nation that never ceded its sovereignty.”

– Former NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner