He led and fought furiously for the rights of First Nations people, from land rights and health services, justice and education, to of course the right for us to own and control our media.
From Radio Redfern and 98.9 Murri Radio in Brisbane to NITV, we quite simply would not be in our position of strength without the fire-breathing of Birri Gubba Gungalu man from the Dawson River, Tiga Bayles.
Whether it was NSW land rights rallies, the 1982 Commonwealth Games, the 1988 Australian Bicentenary or 2000 Olympic Games, Tiga ensured the world would sit up and pay attention to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples any chance he got.
His passing is a great loss to both our community and Indigenous Australia - we send our deepest sympathies to Tiga’s family and friends at this sad time.
On behalf of NITV, I say thank you and farewell Tiga Bayles. May your Spirit fly knowing the legacy you leave us all. And in the language of Birri Gubba we say good passage on your journey with Wadda Mooli.
Tanya Denning-Orman is the channel manager of NITV
