Outback town mourns passing of its ‘queen’

The outback town of Roebourne in northern WA is in focus as the community gathers to mourn and pay respects to elder Tootsie Daniel, who died last week.

Mrs Daniel was a passionate voice for Indigenous rights in the Pilbara.

“I truly believe that First Nations rights in this part of the world wouldn’t have advanced to the place they are without Tootsie,” Ngarluma-Yindjibarndi Foundation chief executive Sean-Paul Stephens told the ABC.

Mrs Daniel was often described as the Queen of Roebourne – or Ieramugadu in Yindjibarndi language.

She was a strong advocate for gaining world heritage status for the region and founded the Ngarluma-Yindjibarndi Foundation in the 1990s with her late husband.

A voice for Indigenous rights in the Pilbara, Mrs Daniels used art to tell her stories and singer Paul Kelly performed one of her songs.

“My thoughts are with Mrs Daniel’s family and community,” Environment Minister Plibersek said.

“It was an honour to work with her on progressing World Heritage for the Murujuga Cultural Landscape.”