In our exclusive chat with proud Noongar and Survivor contestant, Kirby Bentley, she chats about how NAIDOC Week and culture have influenced her.

Introduce yourself, your mob and how you came about being in Survivor.

Kaya! My name is Kirby Bentley, a proud Noongar woman from Western Australia. My family lines stretch strong and deep through the Noongar country. I grew up connected to culture, land, community, and sport has always been a huge part of my life.

My journey into Australian Survivor came from a place of wanting to push myself, represent mob in mainstream spaces, and show that our resilience isn’t just history, it’s alive and beating strong in us today. I went into Survivor not just as an individual, but carrying my people with me, always. I want our people to see what they can be.

What were some challenges that you faced in Survivor?

Survivor throws everything at you, physically, mentally and emotionally. One of the biggest challenges was being away from family. That spiritual connection is hard to describe but impossible to ignore when it’s missing.

Then there’s the gameplay, trusting your instincts while navigating all the social politics. It made me dig deeper into my own strength, draw from my upbringing, and to tap into my life experiences, remember that our old people survived far worse. That mindset kept me going.

What are some ways that you connect to culture in your day-to-day life?

Every day, I live and breathe my culture. Everything I do is a reflection of who I am and who we are, knowing this is really empowering for me, I’ve learned to grow into the power and pride, but this wasn’t always the case.

I grew up in a white Australian country town where we had to build that resilience and self-love, and self-worth, where my elders built the strength in us to be who we are today.

So, every day is connecting to culture to keep leading the way. Even the way I lead with heart, community, and accountability is culture in action. This isn’t separate from daily life, it is daily life.

What does culture mean to you?

Culture is everything. It’s our identity, our history, our resistance, our joy, and it’s grounding. It’s the way we laugh, the way we mourn, the way we carry each other. It’s connection to land, language, family and dreaming.

Culture means knowing where you come from so you can stand strong in where you’re going. It’s healing, power, and legacy.

How will you be celebrating NAIDOC Week?

NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate mob, honour our Elders, and turn up the volume on our stories.

I’ll be attending community events, sharing space with our people and allies, speaking with schools and young people, and soaking up the strength of culture.

It’s also a time for self-care and reflection because celebrating culture means looking after our spirit too. Whether it’s a big event or a quiet walk on Country, I’ll be holding culture close and standing proud.