Sue Napangardi Martin

Hello my name is Sue Napangardi Martin and I live at Tennant Creek. Before I came here I lived at Willowra. When I worked at Willowra, I worked as a teaching assistant. While working there, I noticed that the school kids could speak English properly. The teachers who worked there were Jim and Petronella Wafer. During my work at the school with them we asked the Education Department at that time to help us to have a bilingual school and teach them Warlpiri. Now at school at Willowra they speak, read and write Warlpiri. It is really important for kids to speak their language and keep their culture strong.

Sue Napangardi Martin is from Willowra community but currently lives in Tennant Creek, Central Australia. She has worked as a teaching assistant in Willowra and in the 1970s advocated for the school to run a bilingual program. Today, thanks to her work and that of others, students at Willowra speak and learn to read and write in Warlpiri. She believes it is really important for kids to speak their language and keep their culture strong.