A director of an Aboriginal corporation engaged in government child protection contracts in Port Hedland has been recorded overseeing a fight between two men at a local reserve while children watched and a young girl filmed the incident.

Raylene Button, a prominent figure at the Julyardi Aboriginal Corporation, which holds contracts valued at more than $13 million, acknowledged her presence at the event, which took place approximately five weeks ago at Deepwater Reserve in South Hedland. The corporation has recently secured additional work amid an ongoing child safety crisis in the iron ore town, located about 1,600 kilometers north of Perth.

In the video, which initially circulated within the Pilbara Indigenous community, Button can be heard establishing rules for the fight, which involves two young male relatives. She insists on a one-on-one contest, telling onlookers, “You want to fight them one by one? Fair fight!” Button also directs women present to remain silent during the altercation, stating, “No f...en woman’s talking.”

Button, 51, described the two men involved as her son and nephew, aged 27 and 24 respectively, noting that she often refers to her adult relatives as “kids.” She said she arrived at the scene after receiving reports that both men were facing potential attack by a group of around 20 individuals. Button denied any role in organizing the fight and characterized her involvement as an effort to protect her family members from a broader assault.

She acknowledged that children should not have been present to witness the fighting but said the event had been arranged by community members to address unresolved tensions linked to violence in the region. Button described herself in the recording as a caretaker figure, asserting, “I’m the aunty for this f...ken kid. I’m the f...ken mother for this f...ken kid.”

The video’s release has raised concerns amid ongoing scrutiny of child safety and community violence issues in Port Hedland, contributing to heightened public and governmental attention on Indigenous service providers operating in the area.