Celebrating NAIDOC Week with Eddie, Caleb and Greg

Proud Yidinji man, Eddie, has called his Supported Independent Living (SIL) house in Mareeba home for over 20 years. He also previously worked at Mareeba social enterprise for three decades. 

Eddie connects to Country through his paintings. He uses his art as a way to share his culture and stories with others.

Eddie wants people to know that people with disability are “the same as everyone else”. 

Caleb’s family is from Erub (Darnley) Island in the Torres Strait. He has worked at Cairns social enterprise for over eight years where he collects and shreds documents.

For Caleb, connecting to Country means celebrating his heritage with his family especially throughout NAIDOC Week, which he said is “important for honouring our history”. 

He proudly shares his culture with his teammates and appreciates when sports teams have First Nations art printed on their jerseys. 

“Being Torres Strait Islander makes me feel happy and proud,” he said. 

Proud Yirrganydji man, Greg, has worked at Cairns social enterprise for nearly 40 years. Like Caleb, Greg’s role involves shredding and sorting documents, which are integral to his team’s operations. 

Greg connects to Country by participating in cultural events and visiting Yarrabah to stay connected with his family.

He also likes to share his Yirrganydji heritage with his colleagues.

“I’m proud of where I come from, and it makes me happy,” he said.