Australia must do more to ensure history does not repeat itself, a leading Indigenous advocate has said, as the number of First Nations children removed from their families continues to rise.

Speaking on National Sorry Day, Arrernte leader and Chair of Children's Ground, William Tilmouth, said the trauma of child removals is not a chapter of the past, but one that is still unfolding.

He said the recognition of the continued pain needs to be more than symbolism, calling on Australia's leaders to "ensure history is not repeated".

"Children continue to be taken from their families," he said.

"Work must continue to repair the damage of the past and strengthen justice and equity for the future."

Data from both the Productivity Commission and the Closing the Gap report show the number of Indigenous children being removed from homes across the country is increasing, with experts arguing it is leading Australia down the "path of another Stolen Generation".

Almost 43 per cent of children placed in out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia are First Nations, with Indigenous children removed at nearly ten times the rate of their non-Indigenous counterparts.

Children's Ground - a First Nations organisation driving long-term change through Indigenous culture and leadership - said a brighter future would only be possible when justice becomes more than just a promise and change is led by self-determination.

It said reconciliation does not begin with celebration. Rather, it starts with truth-telling and listening.

"Good things take time. The steps we are taking together are steps in the right direction," Mr Tilmouth said.

"There is goodwill out there and people are willing to walk with us. What matters is how we use that goodwill."

Earlier this year, the Healing Foundation released the Are you waiting for us to die? report, calling for a package of "urgent changes" to allow the remaining elderly survivors to "live out their days with dignity".

It noted only six per cent of recommendations made to support Stolen Generations survivors and their families have been fully implemented.

In response to some states lacking tailored redress schemes for survivors, Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said on Monday she will continue to push those governments to take responsibility and provide compensation for Stolen Generations survivors.

Mr Tilmouth said First Nations people weren't looking for "sympathy," but rather for people to question what they believe and "choose something better".

"That is what we are asking...shared responsibility for what comes next," he said.

Promoting the "Wear it Yellow" campaign, he argued it gave people the chance to recognise the truth of Indigenous people's history, look inside themselves, and ask: "Would I accept this for my own family? Would I accept it for my children?"

"That's what we are trying to do. Get people to question what they believe, to see things more clearly. If you change your thoughts, you can change the world for you and the people around you."