MercyCare Early Learning Service’s Administration Officer, Charlene Assan is a proud Ngadju woman from the Southern Goldfields Region of Western Australia.
Ngadju Country covers an area of more than 120,000 square kilometres, (almost as large as England!) and includes a quarter of the pristine Western Woodlands forests between Kalgoorlie and Esperance. The Western Woodlands are known for their extensive biodiversity, being home to numerous species of flora and fauna of international significance.
The Ngadju people have lived on the land for perhaps as long as 50,000 years, living a simple lifestyle as hunter gatherers. Charlene grew up on Ngadju Country in the small regional town of Norseman, which lies halfway between Kalgoorlie and Esperance.
Norseman is driven by mining and tourism, with many travellers taking advantage of its facilities and supplies before heading out along the Nullarbor Plain.
For Charlene, Norseman was a wonderful place to be a kid, and she has lots of happy memories of time spent with family, Elders and school friends, “it was a great place to grow up, where Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people lived side by side as one happy community”.
After primary school, Charlene spent time living in Esperance and Kalgoorlie, but it was when she moved to Perth that she had her first experience of culture shock.
“When I moved to Perth and started working in an office, I had my first experience of culture shock.” Charlene said. “I was really aware that I was the only Aboriginal in the office, and I remember feeling like I had to ‘code switch’.”
“Code switching means that I had to change who I was, to feel like I could fit in with my workmates,” Charlene explained. “It’s something that many Aboriginal people have experienced”.
As part of MercyCare’s Harmony Week celebrations, Charlene agreed to talk to her colleagues about Aboriginal and Ngadju language and culture, and in the process, she made some important discoveries.
“While I was researching for the Harmony Day presentation, I realised that the Ngadju language is severely endangered, with only a handful of fluent speakers still with us, and some partial speakers.”
“With many of my Elders now passed, I feel very motivated to learn more about my language and to teach it to future generations.” Charlene said.
Charlene has since found various language resources, including an online dictionary and educational posters; and she is determined to keep the Ngadgu language alive for generations to come.
At MercyCare, we are committed to fostering a workplace that reflects contemporary Australian society and the communities we serve. As a workforce, we can speak almost 80 different languages, and more than 25% of staff have a first language other than English.
