The Northern Territory Police Commissioner has agreed he was "gaslighting" Aboriginal people when he said he had not seen racism in the force earlier this year, an inquest has heard.

Commissioner Michael Murphy also admitted he knew of the existence of racist awards months before they were made public in the inquest into the death of Warlpiri-Luritja man Kumanjayi Walker.

It comes as family members of Mr Walker argue the accusations of racism in the NT Police have been well known for a long time, but consistently denied by the force.

Guardian Australia reported Mr Murphy told the inquest he regretted not investigating the "c**n of the year" certificates that were allegedly awarded to members of the Territory Response Group (TRG), or reporting them to police internal affairs, when he first learned of the racist awards in August of last year.

He also accepted he had misled journalists when he told reporters after the certificate came to light in February, that he had not been aware of them.

Kumanjayi Walker's cousin, Samara Fernandez-Brown, told National Indigenous Times the existence of racism in the NT Police was something Indigenous community members had long known, and had been making repeated complaints about for years.

"For us, it has been something that has existed forever," Ms Fernandez-Brown said.

"I think when you work within the police force, it's hard for us to believe that anybody within the police force doesn't know that racism exists, because it comes across so obviously to us, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."

It was revealed Mr Murphy, under questioning by counsel assisting the coroner, Peggy Dwyer SC, had met a former NT Police officer and friend of Mr Rolfe, in August 2023, who told him about the existence of the award.

Mr Murphy said he did not recall this meeting, even after the evidence came to light by Mr Rolfe during his testimony and said in a press conference that he was not aware of them.

He denied deliberately misleading the public, telling Dr Dwyer he simply failed to make the connection between the meeting in August last year and Mr Rolfe's revelations in the inquest.

It comes as the long-running inquest, which began in September 2020, into the shooting death of Mr Walker by then-constable Zachary Rolfe in 2019 comes to an end.

Mr Rolfe was acquitted of charges of murder, manslaughter and engaging in a violent act causing death in March 2023.

Mr Murphy accepted he was "effectively gaslighting" people who had made numerous complaints about racism in the NT Police when he told reporters the existence of the certificate and other behaviour outlined by Mr Rolfe was something he had not seen before.

He also told the inquiry he could not rule out the possibility that racism played a part in Mr Walker's death.

"For anybody that believes that there isn't racism in the police, to say that it is either intentionally lying, or being arrogant to that fact," Ms Fernandez-Brown said.

Having previously denied the existence of racism, Ms Fernandez-Brown said Mr Murphy's acceptance was simply a result of too many "blatant facts" coming to light.

"We obviously knew it existed," she said, "but now when you've just got such blatant facts in front of you, you have to concede."

"I don't know if it's something that was desired on their part, but I don't think you can continue to deny it when you have such blatant proof that it does exist in that way."

Mr Murphy said the force was committed to change.

However, for the family of Kumanjayi Walker, the relived trauma of an arduous inquest which is entering its final stages will not begin to heal until real change is enacted.

"It's such a hard process," Ms Fernandez-Brown said. "I think sticking together…it comes naturally in the sense of we're all experiencing this really terrible loss together."

"It's just sticking together through a shared experience and shared desire for an outcome that is safer for other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and families, and also for a deep desire of truth telling.

"Not only in the fact that there was racism within the police force and within the Northern Territory that has led to Kumanjayi's death, but the truth in who Kumanjayi was to us as well."

She said her healing process would only begin to come about when she sees tangible changes and commitment.

"When I actually have trust my family can have contact with the police and not be discriminated against or not experienced racism, or an excessive use of force," Ms Fernandez-Brown said.

"And I don't have that right now. So, my healing won't come until there is a change that is going to be for the better of everybody."