During NAIDOC Week from Sunday 3 July to Sunday 10 July, The Buttery celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contributions with a photographic exhibition.
This year’s theme – Get up! Stand up! Show up! – encourages all of us to champion institutional, structural, collaborative, and cooperative change while celebrating those who have already driven and led change in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over generations.
Join The Buttery in celebrating the invaluable contribution of these Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and men, who make significant contributions to our communities, families, history, and nation.
The Buttery is honoured to showcase women and men working in the alcohol and other drugs and mental health sector.
We wish to express our sincerest thanks to the participants in this exhibition.
DIAN EDWARDS
Dian is Wiradjuri/Barkindji and English and is the manager at Namatjira Haven Drug & Alcohol Healing Centre. She is also an artist and has a background in horticulture, science, bookkeeping and administration.
Dian was born in Yuin country in Nowra NSW and spent her formative years in Sydney before relocating to the Northern Rivers to raise her family in Bundjalung country. She also spent time in Laurieton, NSW, with her grandmother, who taught her grandkids to fish, hunt, and enjoy mud crab.
Namatjira Haven supports Aboriginal men to make changes in their lives, their families, and their communities. Dian has worked for Namatjira Haven for 22 years in various roles ranging from temporary cook then living skills and finance before progressing into management.
Dian has reshaped Namatjira Haven to become a healing centre that adopts culturally appropriate evidence-based strategies for working with Aboriginal people with substance use disorders and underlying issues. She also works to help the community in times of crises.
Currently, Dian is working with the Board to create a healing centre specifically for Aboriginal women called Aunty Sandra’s Place.
KAIDEN POWELL
Kaiden is a proud Wiradjuri man who grew up on Wiradjuri country and is a former participant of The Buttery. He is also an artist and was selected to create an original artwork for The Buttery’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) document, to be housed on the Reconciliation Australia website.
Kaiden has been working in the community sector for 15 years. He works across all aspects of the sector in employment, project officer and mental health roles. Kaiden also now runs a small business called Changing the Odds, which focuses on his work through giving back from lived experience. Kaiden’s experience and formal education in mental health, Alcohol and other Drugs, and emotional wellbeing, support him as a caseworker and program facilitator in the community.
Kaiden also works two days a week for Rural Health, employed under Sydney University, to deliver art-based compassion-focused workshops in community.
At 27, after completing The Buttery’s Therapeutic Community program, Kaiden went on to achieve his dream of representing his country in soccer and playing in the Australian Indigenous Soccer Squad.
ELKE WOODERSON
Elke is born in Dunghutti country, my ancestors are from the Yuin Nation.
She is a facilitator in the CORE program (Community Rehabilitation) program the Mid North Coast. The position entails case management of support and individual counselling, assisting participants before and during the program, working closely with other organisations, group therapy, psychoeducation aspects, developing a holistic living plan, and art therapy.
Elke has been a member of the SES for 12 years. She is also on the local Wigay Cultural Park committee and teaches others how to weave.
ALINTA CARPENTER
Alinta Carpenter is a proud Yaegl and Bundjalung woman.
Alinta is a Buttery Community Outreach Youth Worker (BCOY) and works locally in the Clarence Valley, covering the Northern Rivers area. Her position at The Buttery entails case management and support for young people in individual and group counselling sessions. This work covers drugs and alcohol misuse, assists participants before and during the program and helps and supports young people not to relapse or re-offend. Alinta works closely with other youth organisations and is involved in all local youth events, including camps, youth week, Closing the Gap Day and NAIDOC Week events. Alinta’s passion is working with youth and helping young people who are at risk.
Alinta has a background in juvenile justice and worked at Acmena Detention Centre for four-and-a-half years.
TONIA RYAN
Tonia Ryan is a proud Kamilaroi woman.
Tonia works at The Buttery as the Relapse Prevention Aftercare Facilitator (RPAS), covering the Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour and Bellingen areas.
In her role, Tonia assists and links participants to the support they need in everyday life. Tonia likes working with the compassionate team at The Buttery and making a difference in people’s lives to support them in achieving their goals.
Before working at The Buttery, Tonia worked in Homelessness Supporting & Securing Tenancies, the Way Back Program and Mental Health Line. Tonia also worked in the education sector for 27 years.
TARA ANDERSON
Tara is a proud Wailwan woman from the Ngiyampaa nation, with ancestral roots to the Kamilaroi tribe living in beautiful Dunghutti country.
Her role at The Buttery is as a support facilitator in the Continuing Coordinated Care (CCC) program. This program is community outreach based with a participant-led holistic approach to identifying and achieving personalised goals.
This position entails case management support for people in any stage of their alcohol and other drugs journey. The role supports unmet psychosocial needs, links to services, and assists people to stay engaged in treatment.
Tara has a background in Aboriginal Health (Chronic Care) as an Aboriginal Health practitioner, Youth services worker, Teacher Aid (special) & Childcare worker. Her passion is working on-the-ground in communities and helping others.
