The passing of senior Nyikina, Mangala man Harry Watson, 86, leaves a significant gap in the cultural relationships he helped foster across Western Australia's Kimberley region.

That's according to Nyikina man and former Kimberley Land Council CEO Wayne Bergmann, who knew Mr Watson through both work and life across the region.

Born on Nyikina country in Jarlmadangah Burru, a remote community 86 kilometres south-east of Derby, Mr Watson spent his early years traversing the vast region and working as a stockman on cattle stations.

"Like all senior people, he grew up in a time when brutal, hard work was the only way you were recognised and gained respect on pastoral stations," Mr Bergmann said.

"He worked all over the Kimberley on different pastoral stations, so he became well known."

Mr Watson was one of the founding members of the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC), an organisation focused on preserving the country-based knowledge of the region's six cultural blocks.

When Mr Watson shared stories of traditional life in the Kimberley, his quiet yet piercing presence captivated listeners.

"His law and culture was his religion... he practised it with absolute dedication," Mr Bergmann said.

As his life progressed, he turned the stockman skills of his youth into camel breeding and the operation of rides.

He became a stalwart of Aboriginal tourism, founding Kimberley Dreamtime Tours in Jarlmadangah Burru, where he educated visitors about the region's cultural heritage.

This ability to move between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal worlds remained a defining characteristic, Mr Bergmann said.

"He was one of the senior men who could cut through politics... he had such a commanding position of respect amongst believers and non-believers."