Send Sharon to Puliima Indigenous Languages Forum

We are a group learning Noongar, the local First Language here in the south west of Western Australia.
We want to help our awesome teacher, Noongar woman Sharon Gregory, get to the 2019 Puliima National Indigenous Languages Forum in Darwin in August.

Why is it important for Sharon to attend Puliima?
Being a champion of your Indigenous language is rewarding but it can be a long hard slog. We want Sharon to stay strong in mind, body and spirit... joining a nation-wide collective of like-minded people will be the perfect injection of inspiration and energy to keep motivated.

Puliima happens every second year. First Nations people from all over Australia come together to connect, network, share ideas, learn from each other and get excited about new strategies for language revitalisation/preservation. It’s an amazing buzz!

Who is Sharon Gregory? What does she contribute to the community?
Sharon has been striving to make a difference in her community through revitalisation of Noongar language for the last 16 years.

She is a Department of Education-trained Indigenous Language teacher. She started her Noongar teaching career at Willagee Primary School which later became Caralee Primary School. Since leaving the Department of Education, Sharon has developed a solid career in Noongar community services, utilising Noongar language and cultural knowledge as a tool for healing.

In 2016 she received the Serco Global Pride Award in recognition of her support of young Indigenous men (through her role as Family Liaison Officer) at Wandoo Reintegration Centre. More recently her language and cultural knowledge have informed her work in Wungening Aboriginal Corporation’s Alcohol and Drug Support Services, again with excellent outcomes.

In her spare time, she has led our Fremantle-based language learning group Waalyalap Waangkaniny for the last eight years. Under Sharon’s guidance, our group aims to share Noongar language and advocate for wider recognition of Indigenous languages.

Sharon also runs weekly Noongar classes at the Meeting Place in Freo and has taught at the Fremantle Noongar Cultural Centre and for the City of Cockburn, as well as authoring a Noongar dictionary, overseeing Noongar songwriting and undertaking translation for community projects.
You may have seen or heard some of her work during the 2019 AFL Indigenous round:  Dockers/Eagles songs video 

What will the funds be used for?
The money raised will be used towards the cost of flights (Perth – Darwin return), airport transfers, accommodation in Darwin, conference registration fees and a basic daily food allowance. We also hope to raise enough for Sharon to attend the two days of workshops in addition to the main conference.

Now is the time
The energy around First Languages is growing. Community awareness of Noongar language is expanding. Sharon’s passion for her language work continues to grow. An injection of new ideas and energy is exactly what’s needed right now to keep the momentum going.
Please support Sharon to get to Puliima and bring its uplifting energy back to her language work here in Perth.