Sharon Stewart-Peregoy (born June 3, 1953) is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House :''67th Legislature – 2021� ...

. She was first elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 2017, and represents House District 42. From 2009 to 2017, she served in

Montana Senate The Montana Senate is the upper house of the Montana Legislature, the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Montana. The body is composed of 50 senators elected for four years. Composition of the Senate :''67th Legislature – 2021–202 ...

, and represented Senate District 21, which included

Crow Agency, Montana Crow Agency ( cro, awaasúuchia) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Big Horn County, Montana, United States and is near the actual location for the Little Bighorn National Monument and re-enactment produced by the Real Bird family known as B ...

. She was a member of the Senate's American Indian Caucus. She received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in elementary education from

Montana State University Montana State University (MSU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 6 ...

and a Master of Education from City University at Seattle. She actively advocates for the revitalization of the Crow language and culture. In 2009, Stewart-Peregoy became an adjunct professor at

Little Big Horn College Little Big Horn College is a public tribal land-grant community college on the Crow Indian Reservation in Crow Agency, Montana. It has an open admissions policy and welcomes enrollment from any adult with a high school diploma or GED. The student ...

as a Crow Studies instructor and advocated for more use of the Crow language as part of the planning committee for a new cultural museum in 2021.

Politics

Though the legislature's policy is to speak in English only, Stewart-Peregoy chose to be sworn in in the Crow language. She joined the American Indian Caucus, which at the time totaled nine members including Stewart-Peregoy. In the legislature, Stewart-Peregoy has focused on topics including the disproportionate disappearance and domestic violence rates of Indigenous peoples in Montana. Stewart-Peregoy has served on the following legislative committee assignments: Senate: * 2009: Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation; Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs; Energy and Telecommunications * 2011: Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation (Vice Chair); Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs; Education and Cultural Resources * 2013: Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation; Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs; Education and Cultural Resources; Ethics * 2015: Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation; Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs; Education and Cultural Resources House: * 2017: Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation; Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs; Education and Cultural Resources * 2019: Business and Labor (Vice Chair); Rules; Energy, Telecommunications, and Federal Relations; Fish, Wildlife, and Parks * 2021: Appropriations; House Rules; General Government

Early career and personal life

Prior to politics, Stewart-Peregoy worked in kindergarten and elementary education before becoming a research and development specialist for the tribe.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart-Peregoy, Sharon 1953 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians City University of Seattle alumni Living people Crow people Democratic Party Montana state senators Montana State University alumni Native American state legislators in Montana Native American women in politics People from Crow Agency, Montana Women state legislators in Montana