Nini Mills will be one of the many remarkable Indigenous leaders to speak at The Hatchery's Inaugural Western Australia First Nations Leadership Summit, to be held in Boorloo on May 21-22.

Ms Mills, a Yawuru/Bunuba woman from Broome, is the chief executive of Nyamba Buru Yawuru.

She is a proud First Nations woman, leader, author, public speaker, life coach and mentor.

With more than 10 years' experience in senior management and leadership roles within government agencies and community organisations focused on leading strategic direction, policy reform, program design and service delivery within the Indigenous Affairs sector, her professional career has focused on advocating for and supporting the rights and interests of Indigenous people.

Ms Mills told National Indigenous Times her passion for justice was sparked at an early age.

"From a young age, I had this fire in my belly and strong sense of commitment to social justice matters, and that was prompted as a result of my observations relating to the injustices in my community, to my people," she said.

"This prompted a curiosity around our recent past, and that curiosity helped me to understand those injustices fully, by way of my grandparents' time and many of my family members having lived in eras of discrimination, assimilation and oppression.

"I was always keen to pursue personal and professional pathways that enabled me to advocate and support the rights and interests of Indigenous people. So, straight out of school, I always worked for ACCOs, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, and then post Yawuru's Native Title determination, when Nyamba Buru Yawuru was established, I was very fortunate as a younger woman to start working for them at the establishment phase of the organisation.

"That experience enabled me to not only influence that establishment phase, but also to be inspired and to work alongside some key leaders who also hold national leadership profiles."

Ms Mills said her Elders have been a great source of inspiration to her.

"I have a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude for their resilience and for what they did by way of holding hope and strength and a vision for our community," she said.

"And on the flip side of that, my sons inspire me, and the future generation at large. I understand that with my responsibility now, there's a serious obligation to make sure that we're doing things the right way, and with deep and respectful regard to those who come after us."

Ms Mills said First Nations leadership is vital to address the lasting impact of historic and ongoing injustices, and to build a positive future.

"Our recent history hasn't been kind to Indigenous people, and I think Indigenous leaders hold a weight of responsibility to try and rectify those past injustices and to navigate the complexities of the systems and structures that still aim to disempower us, honestly, that's the way I see it," she said.

"We have to navigate that, and showcasing the leadership is important to inspire others, and the responsibilities that sit within it are hard. You don't realise the weight of that responsibility and the challenges around it unless you've walked in the shoes and you've had to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

"I think the more we can showcase the leadership and share in the successes and gravitate collectively to understand that you're not alone in that journey and that there is a collective group of people who are trying to achieve the same thing by way of Indigenous empowerment and self-determination, equality and equity, it lightens the load a little bit, and the better we can do as leaders to inspire others to follow in the footsteps. It's like you're creating that broader ripple effect that will aim to achieve greater influence and impact, I believe."

Ms Mills said she is looking forward to the First Nations Leadership Summit in May.

"I'm going there and sharing my story with a hope to inspire and to motivate others, but also for myself to feel inspired and to hear the stories of other leaders, and I will take those observations and lessons learned from what they share to maintain my level of motivation and commitment. It is a two-way exchange," she said.

For more information about the summit, the program can be downloaded online.