ACHO Sector Strengthening Project – Karlup Aboriginal Corporation, Indigo Junction

Clint Uink and Ellie Morrissey of the Aboriginal Community Housing Organisation (ACHO) Sector Strengthening Project team were delighted to sit down recently with Sharon Gough, CEO of Shelter WA member Indigo Junction, and Director of a brand-new organisation, Karlup Aboriginal Corporation.

Homeland – Heartland

Indigo Junction is a not-for-profit organisation located in Midland that provides homelessness services to people experiencing disadvantage in the community. The Tier 3 Community Housing Provider delivers a range of place-based services that are accessible and responsive in times of crisis and create long-term positive change through trauma informed care.

Whilst Indigo Junction provides services to all within the greater Midland area, over 95 per cent of their clients are Aboriginal people, along with 40 per cent of their staff and members of their board. Acknowledging that closing the gap on socioeconomic factors such as housing rests with self-determination and an empowered Aboriginal community, Indigo Junction partnered with the local community to set up a separate organisation, Karlup Aboriginal Corporation, in order to support the Aboriginal community in Midland in the long-term. Karlup is a Noongar term meaning homeland – heartland.

At the heart of Karlup’s business is caring for the housing, cultural and support needs of Aboriginal people in the local area. Karlup Kaartdijin (Cultural Framework) focuses on understanding and reflecting the local needs of their people, with a focus on three interconnected core areas:

 1. Advocacy & Influence

Building a place of influence across community for the Noongar people, and respecting the views and solutions of Aboriginal people in the Midland community through,

• Supporting Aboriginal-led solutions for the Midland community;
• Developing and supporting areas of advocacy and focus for Aboriginal people;
• Developing and supporting areas of research to inform policy decisions directly related to Aboriginal people.

 2. Connection to Culture & Education

Shared knowledge and a space for learning with community education and sharing Kaartdijin (knowledge) are critical to increase cultural competence in the local community. Karlup will support this through,

• Sharing Kaartdijin (knowledge) and providing education to local organisations and agencies;
• Building connection to culture alongside the Noongar community in the local area;
• Working in partnership with local agencies and organisations to design, develop and evaluate meaningful and culturally safe services for the local Noongar community.

 3. Aboriginal Leadership & Empowerment

Karlup leadership will empower their mob. Aboriginal leadership can lead to the empowerment and healing to support Aboriginal people’s social and emotional wellbeing. Karlup will support this through,

• Creating opportunities for leadership and a space to yarn in the Midland community;
• Provide a space to voice and create change in the Midland community;
• Support the localised creation of opportunities for Aboriginal people in the Midland community;
• Providing support services that are culturally safe and responsive to the needs of the Midland community.

The formal partnership that has developed between the two organisations is one of reciprocal capacity building, with Karlup providing cultural expertise to Indigo Junction, in exchange for governance and operational support. In the long term Karlup will seek registration as a community housing organisation with the support of Indigo Junction, and likely take over the management of some of Indigo Junction’s programs.

This innovative partnership is sure to deliver amazing impacts for the Aboriginal people of the greater Midland area and Shelter WA is thrilled to shine a spotlight on this example of community collaboration to our network. Shelter WA’s ACHO Sector Strengthening Project is currently focusing on connecting with ACHOs to understand how we can help strengthen the sector, enable peer to peer knowledge sharing, resource exchange and relationship building between ACHOs.

Further Information

Please get in touch by emailing ellie.morrissey@shelterwa.org.au if you are interested in hearing more about the project or if you are an ACCO that provides property and tenancy management services in WA and would like to be involved in the project.