Kunmanara Hoosan has been remembered as a compassionate and driven leader who made an "enormous contribution" to his community following his sudden death overnight in Darwin.
Mr Hoosan — whose first name and image cannot be used for cultural reasons — was elected chair of the Central Land Council (CLC) earlier this year following a long career advocating for the Central Australian Indigenous community.
Kunmanara is a pitjantjatjara- yankunytjatjara word used to refer to people who have died.
CLC chief executive Les Turner remembered him as a "well-loved and highly respected man" whose "compassion extended to all he worked with".
"We offer heartfelt condolences to his family, community and colleagues," Mr Turner said.
The Anangu man also has been remembered as a fierce advocate in the campaign against domestic violence and for raising the age of criminal responsibility.
Over the course of his life he worked as a police officer, CLC field officer, health worker and chair of the NT Uniting Church.
He served on the board of the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority and was attending one of the organisation's meetings in Darwin at the time of his death.
Fight against violence
Mr Hoosan was a founding member of the NPY Women's Council Uti Kulintjaku Watiku (men's clear thinking) program set up by men to address domestic violence.
In a statement, NPY Women's Council called him a passionate leader in the fight against domestic violence and an advocate for the mental health of young men.
"He was integral in growing understanding amongst men about trauma associated with violence and how it affects women and children," the organisation said.
He has been remembered for making an entire CLC council meeting watch Four Corners' special on missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
He was a proud co-author of NPY's Tjanimaku Tjukurpa: How one man came good, a novella for young men about mental health and healing
The book won the 2022 Chief Minister's NT Book Award for a Children's and Young Adult publication.
"I love to listen to people and try to guide them, and I need them to guide me too," he told a Central Land Council meeting when he was elected as chair in April.
