A Cape York leader has used Prime Minister Tony Abbott's annual week in remote Indigenous Australia to appeal for more action to address entrenched disadvantage.

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Northern Area Peninsula Mayor Bernard Charlie told Mr Abbott the state of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is unacceptable.

"The social and economic indicators for the NP (Northern Peninsula) region is appalling and unacceptable as a developed country," Mr Charlie said.

"We continue to experience high cost of living, poor health outcomes, where our Indigenous people life expectancy is greatly reduced to around 45.

"Our people are considered lucky to reach 50 years of age and continue to experience high levels of unemployment, low skills jobs and low standards of education outcomes in the critical years of learning."

Mr Abbott, who was welcomed to the Cape by traditional dancers and kissed by local leaders, addressed them with a plea for unity.

"I am determined to ensure that the Aboriginal people of our country are absolutely first-class citizens," Mr Abbott said.

"If our country is truly to flourish, all of us — black and white, Indigenous and settlers — we have to walk arm-in-arm together into a better future."

This morning in Bamaga, at the tip of Cape York, Mr Abbott highlighted the importance of school attendance in Indigenous communities.

The Prime Minister joined the morning school bus run, greeting surprised students as they jumped on board.

"They all seem keen to jump on the bus and come to school, which is nice," Mr Abbott said.

"Going to school is really, really important, because you've got to learn to read, to write, to count, to think."

Mr Abbott has made school attendance a priority in Indigenous affairs.

The Federal Government has been running a national school attendance drive in more than 70 Indigenous communities at a cost of $47 million.

Under the program, school attendance officers were employed to pick up children for school and encourage families to get their kids to class.