A petition to lower the retirement age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders due to their decreased life expectancy has been tabled in the Senate.

The petition was created in reaction to the difference in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Indigenous men die 11.5 years earlier, and Indigenous women nearly 10 years earlier, than their non-Indigenous counterparts.

The petition's organiser, Brett Nutley, said the reduction would allow more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to reach retirement.

"I had a lot of friends who were dying way before retirement age and they didn't have the opportunity to even look at their retirement," he said.

"They were dying while they were working."

Mr Nutley said while measures were in place to try to increase life expectancy as part of the Close The Gap program, they were not helping people now.

"There are a lot of good initiatives with employment and education, but like anything it'll take time," he said.

Mr Nutley also acknowledged there would be critics of the idea.

"You have people being quite rude saying your mob brought this upon yourselves, with drinking and alcohol and all that stuff," he said.

But he said generational issues stemming from the Stolen Generation meant Indigenous Australians were disadvantaged.

"A lot of people don't understand the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this country," Mr Nutley said.

"Previous government policies are not in play now, but it did have a generational effect and it did run down the line."

'Not enjoying the benefits of retirement'

Greens Senator Rachel Siewert tabled the petition and said she had been compelled to do so to put the issue of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life expectancy on the Government's agenda.

"What this says is this is unfair that Aboriginal people, we know there's a gap in life expectancy, are dying at a younger age," Senator Siewert said.

"They're then not enjoying the benefits of a retirement stage of their life because of this gap.

"This issue has been around for a significant period of time and … this [petition] helps that conversation along."

The earlier retirement age would be optional for any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander who reaches the age of 55.