Wheelchair-bound land rights champion Galarrwuy Yunupingu is hoping for a parliamentary resolution on Aboriginal constitutional reform by the time he gets a new prosthetic leg.
The Gumatj leader, who expects to be on his feet in a month's time, has told the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem he wants federal MPs to lead Australians toward a referendum on creating an indigenous voice in parliament.
Momentum is building for a nationwide Makarrata - a Yolngu concept for coming together after a struggle - but other prominent Aboriginal figures are less optimistic on how soon constitutional change will come.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten gave Labor's unequivocal support for an indigenous advisory body to the parliament but prime minister Malcolm Turnbull remains non committal.
Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council chief executive Andrea Mason said Mr Turnbull wasn't being negative and was questioning how the advisory body would work.
She said with the largest number of Aboriginal men and women in history currently serving in parliament, there was scope to trust.
"You can't convince people in parliament to support something if you don't have the detail," Kimberley Land Council chief executive Nolan Hunter added.
Former Liberal party deputy leader Fred Chaney said the prime minister is being understandably cautious and realistic in describing an end-of-year referendum question deadline as ambitious.
"The prime minister probably went as far as he could go in the circumstances; he has responsibilities to his cabinet and his party room," Mr Chaney said at Garma.
Academic Marcia Langton echoed Referendum Council co-chair Pat Anderson's criticism of politicians swapping action for words.
"I don't want to die before resolution of this issue," Professor Langton said.
"We are royal commissioned out, we are panelled out... enough. Let's do it."
