An Indigenous Northern Territory politician says he feels "stronger and more powerful" when he uses his own language and is seeking support for a motion to remove restrictions on speaking it in Parliament.

"I am here in the Parliament House with my language and cultural background; it's the first time trying to ask for permission, trying to ask kindly that I need to use my language in the Parliament house," Independent MLA Yingiya Mark Guyula said.

Under current standing orders of the Legislative Assembly, members who wanted to address the chamber in a language other than English were forced to do extra work.

Mr Guyula's proposal includes using an interpreter in the chamber so that MLAs no longer have to do their own written and oral translations.

He said it could also help increase the participation of people such as him in debates.

"In the end, there's a message that I want to get through from my language, from my cultural background and towards the English community, and that is the gap that we want to close," he said.

No time for English translations

Currently, any MLAs wanting to use a language that isn't English have to first provide written and oral English translations, but they aren't allocated any extra speaking time to allow for the translation.

Mr Guyula also said the current requirement to speak first in English and then translate his comments into Yolngu Matha did not make sense for him as a native Yolngu Matha speaker.

"I feel stronger and powerful when I speak in Yolngu Matha first, that is my family language, that is my native language," he said.

Mr Guyula said he accepted English was the primary language of the chamber but said people who weren't native English speakers shouldn't be forced to do extra work.

He said many Territorians speak a language other than English, and that many of those people are Indigenous.

"They all have their own languages and I would like to set this up so that they could also come along and use it and see what is best for them," he said.

Former CLP Minister Bess Price also sought to change parliamentary rules around language. ( ABC News: Shuba Krishnan )

Gerry Wood supports move 'in principle'

The Legislative Assembly last debated the language rules earlier this year, after former CLP Minister Bess Price complained she had been reprimanded by the speaker for interjecting in her first language of Warlpiri.

The standing orders committee adopted some of the changes later proposed by Ms Price and removed the need for MLAs wanting to speak in a language other than English to first seek permission from the speaker.

Independent MLA Gerry Wood said "in principle" he supported Mr Guyula's proposal.

"But I think before I wholeheartedly support it, it needs to go to the standing orders committee to see how it would work," Mr Wood said.

The motion could be debated in the Legislative Assembly during this week's final sittings for 2016, but may be put off until next year.

If that's the case, the success of the motion won't just depend on the support of other MLAs but also on Mr Guyula surviving a challenge to his eligibility as a candidate in the seat of Nhulunbuy.

The case is before the Court of Disputed Returns.