In 1997, he was Rapporteur at the Australian Reconciliation Convention and the following year he was appointed an Ambassador for Reconciliation by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
In 1997, he was Rapporteur at the Australian Reconciliation Convention. In 1998 he was named a Living National Treasure during his involvement in the Wik debate and was appointed an Ambassador for Reconciliation by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.