He might still be pushing for the Tent Embassy's relevance, but indigenous leader Mick Gooda has emphasized that violence is not the answer to make known their cause for the aboriginal populace in Australia.

Mr Gooda did not favour the violent behaviour on Thursday that emanated from opposition leader Tony Abbot's remarks on the Tent Embassy's abolition.

The reaction to Abbott's remarks was "over the top and I don't think it paints us in a very good light across Australia," said Mr Gooda in an interview broadcast of Sky News.

"What we saw yesterday was images of violent confrontation that we don't need," Gooda, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, said.

He still pushes for the relevance of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra, established 40 years ago. Although some politicians like Tony Abbott perceived it as a white elephant. Mr Gooda noted that the Aboriginal Tent still symbolizes a major role in raising awareness and cementing commitment to protecting the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

Speaking of the 40th anniversary of the original 'Aboriginal Tent Embassy' established under a beach umbrella on the lawns of Parliament House on 26 January 1972, Mr Gooda acknowledged the importance of the efforts of these early campaigners.

"The Embassy's protest on government policy, along with the Wave Hill walk off by the Gurindji people, and the Gove land rights case of 1971, have been cornerstones in the history of the land rights movement in Australia," Commissioner Gooda said.

"The efforts of these early campaigners helped to galvanise support and commitment to overcome a number of critical challenges for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at that time such as land rights, health and housing, which sadly remain just as relevant and as urgent today as they were 40 years ago."

Mr Gooda said the original Aboriginal Tent Embassy brought together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from all over Australia and helped to sow the seeds of more recent campaigns to improve access to justice, education and equal rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

"The legacy left by these and other early civil rights movements has been to take the very real concerns of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the forefront of Australian politics," Mr Gooda said.

"While their efforts have helped to make self-determination the overriding factor in thinking about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs, there is still a long way to go.

"Now, this early goal remains as important as ever as we work towards bringing the nation together in one voice to finally recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution," Mr Gooda said.