Tauto Sansbury (c. 1949 – 23 September 2019) was aNarungga man from theYorke Peninsula ofSouth Australia. He was the recipient of the NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015NAIDOC Week celebrations.[1] Sansbury was born and raised on anAboriginal reserve and dedicated his life to advocacy forIndigenous Australians.
Sansbury was born at thePoint Pearce Mission in the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.[2] He also hadKaurna and Wirangu heritage.[3]
As state chairperson of the South Australian Aboriginal Justice Advocacy Committee and chairperson of the National Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee for over 10 years, Sansbury fought to improve the conditions ofAboriginal people in thecriminal justice system.
Sansbury served in numerous official and voluntary positions, including chairperson of the South Australian Aboriginal Coalition for Social justice.[2]
He was a consultant to the Social Inclusion Unit, undertaking community consultations on the so-called "Gang of 49" for theBreaking the Cycle Report. More recently[clarification needed] he was employed as CEO and general manager in health and Aboriginal employment and ran his own Aboriginal consultancy called Garridja.
In 2014, Sansbury launched a national advocacy movement for Indigenous people, the Freedom Movement.[4]
Sansbury was a long term member of theAustralian Labor Party and stood for elections, but in 2013 resigned from the party stating that whether in opposition or government it does not help Aboriginal people.[5]
Sansbury died on 23 September 2019 after a 15-month illness withnon-Hodgkin's lymphoma.[6]