Keynote speakers
Mechelle Turvey
In 2022, Mechelle Turvey's 15-year-old son, Cassius Turvey, was assaulted coming home from school. Tragically, the Noongar Yamatji schoolboy died of his injuries 10 days later.
Cassius' death sparked a National Day of Action across Australia, with rallies and vigils to express grief, anger, hurt and solidarity with his loved ones.
Mechelle, still grieving the recent death of her husband Sam, led the march in Perth. She gave a powerful speech about her son, calling for calm and non-violence - and the need for proper care for victims of crime and their families. Highlighting the need for unity and humanity rather than racism.
In 2023, Mechelle began utilising her lived experiences by training Western Australia Police Force recruits in dealing with victims of crime with empathy and support.
Through her life, Mechelle has worked and volunteered to support her community, including helping people in prison. She has donated much of the money raised for Cassius to youth organisations and continues to carry on his legacy by empowering youth to be local community leaders.
Her courage, care, generosity and compassion for others are exemplary.
Mechelle's saying "Like Martians - I wish we were all green" has struck chords for many to remember we are all humans, and out differences should not matter.
Keisha Calyun-Clarke
Keisha Calyun-Clarke is a Ballardong Noongar woman who has lived and grown up on Noongar country her whole life, between Boorloo (Perth) and Toodyay. As a third year medical student who has worked at the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia for 5 years, she is fiercely passionate about Indigenous health and aspires to contribute to making positive changes for health outcomes in First Nations communities.
After attending the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress (PRIDoC) in Vancouver Canada 2022, Keisha was inspired and with the Aboriginal Health Council of WA, founded the Ngalla Bidi Bursary Scheme with the goal to provide scholarships to Western Australian Aboriginal medical students and junior doctors to attend the international PRIDoC conference in future years.
Jack Collard
Jack Collard is a proud citizen of the Nyoongar nation with cultural ties that span from the pristine beaches along the coast of Whadjuk country, through the wetlands of Boorloo over Kaartamoornda (Black Hills) to the granite outcrops of Ballardong boodjar which is home to the Mungart tree.
Jack's servitude to his nation has found him in the role as Executive Director for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander International Engagement Organisation which seeks to connect Indigenous nation-states to Indigenous nation-states across the globe. Weaving a web of interconnectedness and interdependency this network aims to leverage the networks in our respective homes to realise the necessity for Indigenous peoples to become self-determined from the colonial powers that be.
“My Ancestors did what they needed to do so that life could follow - i’m here to do what needs to be done so that can be possible for another 100,000 years.”