![Erin Naden is "feeling honoured" to be titled Female of the Year in Orange's NAIDOC Community Awards. Picture by Amy Rees. Erin Naden is "feeling honoured" to be titled Female of the Year in Orange's NAIDOC Community Awards. Picture by Amy Rees.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/156153420/02c42155-2c04-4845-8b6e-8f4ffcf83b6e.JPG/r600_413_6000_3613_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Be confident in your own skin" is just one message from a proud member of the Wiradjuri mob.
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Sporting phenomenon Erin Naden grabbed the Female of the Year title at the 2022 NAIDOC Community Awards Night in Orange, which has left her feeling "extremely honoured".
"I was pretty shocked to get [this award] because there were some really 'up there' Indigenous ladies that were a part of it as well," Naden said.
"So it means quite a bit to me to be a young Indigenous person getting recognised to even get nominated for the award let alone win it."
The 21-year-old is best-known around the Central West as a local sporting legend across the league realms and when reflecting on the past year's achievements, Naden highlights some pivotal moments.
Along with winning the competition with her beloved St Pat's league tag crew this year, Naden also picked up a 2022 grand final title with the East Coast Eagles in the AFL Sydney competition and grabbed even more gold as the club's newest Rising Star.
Though Naden works tirelessly both on and off the paddock.
Naden's bigger picture
Juggling three different job titles across the region in her day-to-day life, she's also an Indigenous ambassador with the AFL; teaching kids how to play the sport. Her most recent workshop was in Cowra on Tuesday.
She's also employed as a School Learning Support Officer [SLSO] with both Kelso and Portland high schools and is one of Gerald Power's offsiders with his Indigenous Cultural Adventures business.
This latter role has been an invaluable experience for Naden, which she largely attributes to Mr Power for broadening her understanding of Aboriginal culture on a whole other level.
![Sydney AFL East Coast Eagles play from the Central West. Erin Naden wins Female of the Year at Orange NAIDOC Community Awards night. Picture from Sydney AFL. Sydney AFL East Coast Eagles play from the Central West. Erin Naden wins Female of the Year at Orange NAIDOC Community Awards night. Picture from Sydney AFL.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/156153420/a124d9cd-76dd-4943-b6ab-f7c1f05dc3d1.jpg/r0_57_1224_816_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I didn't know about half of the things [with my culture] that happened back then until connecting with Gerald, he's taught me so much," she said.
"We were nominated for one of the region's tourism and cultural awards together as well, so it feels pretty good to know I've been a part of that.
"Especially with me being so young and being able to teach people much older than me about what I know, it's a massive credit to Gerald; I wouldn't know what I know today without him sharing about our culture with me."
Which is also why the combination of her heritage and age, when looking at her award win, carries such a high sentiment for Naden as a young Indigenous woman.
Deepening cultural ties
Being able to represent Aboriginal culture requires leadership, which she says taps back into this year's NAIDOC theme - Get up! Stand Up! Show Up!
But being a leader to Naden doesn't mean just "thinking you can control everyone".
It goes a lot deeper for her.
She describes the meaning of leadership as fusing both inclusion and camaraderie in order to unite the people around you.
![Indigenous Cultural Adventures creator and Orange's deputy mayor, Gerald Power with his offsider Erin Naden on Harmony Day in Orange. Picture by Carla Freedman. Indigenous Cultural Adventures creator and Orange's deputy mayor, Gerald Power with his offsider Erin Naden on Harmony Day in Orange. Picture by Carla Freedman.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/156153420/fe3554a9-7da8-4120-9d64-c4343ea07cfa.JPG/r247_0_5320_3712_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"To me, being a leader means you're involving everyone and getting those different perspectives together to empower those people under your leadership," she said.
"People might think the role of teaching everyone falls on the older generations, but learning can come from anyone with the knowledge and from someone who can make good connections with people.
"I went away for an AFL camp and I didn't know anyone when I got there, but I ended up getting chosen as captain and so I had to step up into that leadership role.
"I got around the girls from day one to show them that I was there for them and opened up that communication for everyone to be heard and that's what being a leader is to me."
Travelling to different communities in her work roles, Naden feels her leadership as a young Indigenous women is represented across both the older generation as well as the children who are coming through.
I got around the girls from day one to show them that I was there for them and opened up that communication for everyone to be heard and that's what being a leader is to me.
- Erin Naden on her understanding of the word 'leadership'
Through "empowering work" with Cr Power she teaches people about Aboriginal culture who are much older than her, which she says feels "really good" considering she's so young herself.
Young women backing younger women
It's through Naden's personal push, outside of her own comfort zone, where she's been able to find a huge source of strength.
"Working in schools with Aboriginal kids I'll mainly connect myself with the girls and being a bit shy myself, I find kids in the same position are able to talk to me easier because I also understand what that feels like," she said.
"Outside of the footy field I'm a pretty shy person, but putting myself out there more and more has helped me to build confidence as an Indigenous woman and that's what this year's NAIDOC theme is all about.
![Connecting to her culture and not letting the opinions of other get to her have contributed to 21-year-old Erin Naden's many successes. Picture by Jude Keogh. Connecting to her culture and not letting the opinions of other get to her have contributed to 21-year-old Erin Naden's many successes. Picture by Jude Keogh.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/156153420/472634b5-7176-4b1f-8457-6ed0ec027804.jpg/r0_0_1020_678_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"We need to get up and show our younger girls that they can do this stuff as well."
Part of that is channeling passions and interest and directing Indigenous youth back to culture Naden said, such as sporting, dancing and education.
She hopes to see the next generations being more confident within themselves and "within their skin", where her wish is for young females to push past being too shy to try new things.
We need to get up and show our younger girls that they can do this stuff as well.
- Erin Naden on 2022 NAIDOC theme and Indigenous women supporting future female generations
"There's so many different components to our culture, so if dancing is your passion then you could maybe try getting involved with traditional dance groups for example," Naden said.
"Because there's all different ways to feel connected and we feel more comfortable when we can align [our interests and our culture] together."
'And now I'm thriving'
Naden's last bit of advice was for young Indigenous kids chasing their dreams.
She spoke about not letting anybody cloud or get in the way of those visions and drawing from her personal experiences in the past, Naden said she's proved all of those people wrong.
"Shoot for the stars and don't worry about what anyone else thinks," she said.
"I'm pretty shy and I've even been bullied because of my skin colour before.
"Some people said I couldn't make it anywhere in sport because of [the colour of my skin] now I'm thriving.
"So be confident in your own skin and don't let anyone get in the way of where you want to go."
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