The Referendum Council co-chair has slammed the prime minister and opposition leader's disrespectful "empty platitudes" in response to demands for a constitutionally-enshrined indigenous voice to parliament.
Pat Anderson says she was hopeful Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten would commit to bold constitutional reform when they attended the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land.
But Ms Anderson said on Friday neither man seized the opportunity during disappointing opening ceremony remarks, which left her feeling "very deflated and overwhelmed by their lack of understanding".
"Most of us were really distressed," she said.
"I don't really know where to go from here. The lack of leadership is just devastating."
Ms Anderson said both politicians were disrespectful to Gumatj clan leader Dr Galarrwuy Yunupingu when he stressed the need to resolve the unfinished business of reconciliation and self-determination.
Mr Shorten called for a bipartisan joint parliamentary select committee to finalise a referendum question on the Aboriginal voice proposal but Mr Turnbull failed to commit bipartisan support.
"I know you've heard a lot of balanda (whitefella) speeches and then very little happens," the Labor leader said.
"I understand that people feel politics has failed them and I think people have the right to be cynical, disappointed and perhaps frustrated with the lack of progress in the past."
But Ms Anderson said it would be the fifth committee in as many years and stressed the need for urgency and action over words.
"We need another committee like a hole in the head," she said.
Ms Anderson said the council deliberately took its Uluru Statement from the Heart straight to the Australian people in an effort to bypass politicians, who have demonstrated they "don't have the guts" to affect real change.
"We didn't opt to give another bark painting as they're now just sitting on the walls of parliament," she said.
"We're in dire circumstances here ... if the status quo is maintained, I don't know whether we'll be here in 50 years."
On Friday the nation's top indigenous leaders came together to launch a collection of essays in favour of an indigenous advisory body, a treaty-making mechanism and a reconciliation commission.
The collaboration titled A Rightful Place: A Roadmap to Recognition was released at Garma and authored by high profile Aboriginal Australians including Noel Pearson, Warren Mundine, Jackie Huggins, Dr Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Ms Davis and Stan Grant.
