Uncle Shannon Ruska

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers please be advised that this article may contain the names of people whom have passed.

Traditional Owner Shannon Ruska is a descendant of the Yuggera, Turrbal, Nunukul, Gorenpul/Cooperoo, and Yugembir peoples with a comprehensive knowledge of language and stories connecting Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Logan and the Redlands Shire. This week I had the opportunity to catch-up with Shannon and learn more about Shannon’s work in the community, experiences presented by Tribal Experiences, practices and ceremonies centered in the Dreamtime, reverence for the land and traditions, and the man leading cultural practice and education.

Shannon is a ‘Welcome to Country and Australian Aboriginal Cultural Specialist’. For over 30 years Shannon has taught and educated over 15 million people worldwide. Establishing his base in Brisbane and servicing Gold Coast and surrounding regions, Shannon continues to give the gifts he was given (knowledge) to anyone who wishes to learn about the most ancient culture known to mankind.

From the early years as an 8-year-old Shannon has connected his heritage and lived his dream by bringing culture alive for all communities and people to learn, understand and connect. His father and many Aboriginal Uncles and Aunties have contributed and instilled his heritage by sharing their stories, practices and language. Shannon fluently speaks five languages – four Aboriginal dialects plus English.

Shannon’s belief and vision embraces setting trends in Aboriginal cultural delivery that upholds respect for his people and tells the story of the First Nation people that connects with audiences across all ages and ethnicity. Shannon’s first journey into cultural delivery was as a youngster performing at Maryborough Cairns in Hope Vale on a tour for one of Brisbane’s first Indigenous drama groups lead by Sydney Festival Director, Wesley Enoch and Lafe Charlton (Australian Movie Dead Heart, Expo 88′). It was at this point that Shannon realised his vocation and decided the stage was his platform to share his culture and heritage with others with his whole heart and soul.

Alongside his father Eddie Ruska they began a dance group that was to set stages alive. This group known today as Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Dancers has grown from small beginnings in 1995 to travelling the globe performing at prestigious events for government and world leaders such as the G20 Summit through to opening and closing ceremonies for international presentations to the likes of Rugby League World Cup. Shannon has revamped the Aboriginal War Dance for the NRL Coo-wee-wah to having 50,000 Rugby Union Wallabies vs Ireland fans in Suncorp Stadium on their feet participating in dance.

​Coming off the back of Brisbane Festival where Shannon produced ‘River of Light’ where art-meets-technology, a light and laser spectacle through streaming water fountains that illuminated the night sky on the Brisbane river, Shannon  recounted the story of ‘Mugumpin’ (Country Storms) with a First Nations perspective. An estimated 500,00 people gathered on the banks of the Brisbane river throughout the festivals program to watch, learn and experience through narration, music and projection the story of ‘Mugumpin’.

I was lucky to spend time with Shannon post festival and this is what I learnt in forty-minutes, although I feel I barely scratched the surface to his knowledge and cultural teachings.

Weaving cultural stories on stage, how the story is being told, who is telling the story and the impact of the story on audiences is culturally considered and connects to Dreamtime. As a cultural leader what is your drive and ambition in cultural storytelling?

First and foremost is bridging the gap between knowledge and understanding. At the beginning of Australian time when Europeans arrived in Australia the key to all breakdowns was communication, so it’s about finding that bridge in communication so all people can understand each other – talk, listen, and exchange of communication for all tribes at least on a basic level. Generations before us lost this translation, so more important than ever is that my generation pass to the next generation the importance of communication and understanding. The more kids we can pass on our history too, communicate our knowledge and share our practices and stories, especially the young will be testament for the future.

As a multi-lingual man with dialects across Aboriginal languages plus English and 2019 being the Year of Indigenous Language, how do you keep your fluency and Aboriginal languages alive considering we’ve lost so many tribal dialects?

In my community especially with the kids we use language and the sharing of our languages wherever possible when we come together. Through song creation using our language stories are woven from the Dreamtime, the past, the present, the future – the telling of our stories through the ages of time. Within a tribe there are roles given, a responsibility designated to tribe members. One of these roles is that of song men or women who share and pass those songs of our history for others to learn as well as create new songs and share of today to pass for tomorrow.

Songs will continue to be carried from the past and those which are new for the next 100 or 200 years and beyond, which is key to our language as well as Dreamtime. Songs help maintain the language. My role is that of song man, my great-grandfather was a messenger man, everyone in the tribe has a role and mine is spokesperson and song man. My next personal mission is recording kid’s books with written word and illustration of our Dreamtime stories, especially online and streaming content that reaches audiences of today.

Tribal Experiences and the depth of presentation which incorporates message, song, dance through to feast is a complete learning and education. What challenges have you embraced?

Barriers are removed every day and personally I wouldn’t say it’s been a big challenge. I find today in schools, corporate events and theatre, the telling is accepted and welcomed. In my time starting in the 90’s it was just getting there with audience and government supporting and endorsing ‘Welcome to Country and Acknowledgements’. Today everything’s embraced across culture and individuals are open to learning and sharing.

Over the past few decades there has been a massive shift and while there’s always more work to be done we have traveled a long way. I think the biggest challenge for Aboriginal people has been the recovery from disruption, being moved around and separated. It’s taken time to find their place from lost and stolen generations. It takes time to re-establish as a tribe and understand the processes and differences between tribes and protocols. It’s long time healing and reconnecting. By the time our kids across Australia reach their forties it’ll be a whole new ball game as kids today are exposed to multiple cultures and ethnicity experiences which is a part of the everyday landscape. The conversation is very different today than 20 or even 5-10 years ago, kids are open to each other through multiculturalism and diverse backgrounds.

Tribal Cultural Incursions in school’s plays is an intricate component of sharing Aboriginal culture and has become an instrumental part in shaping our nation for the future leading to greater awareness and driving reconciliation for proud young Australian school children. Tell us about your program.

Sharing traditional knowledge with youngsters in schools allows us to share our stories and practices. From workshops that cover song and dance lessons through to arts and crafts, basket weaving and learning about artefacts. It’s very interactive where we like the youngsters to fully participate in activities and engage with our knowledge.

Foremost when you look at a country’s story it’s about ‘our story’. When you look at ‘Braveheart’ the people know the story, ‘Genghis Khan’, the people know the story and for Australia we’re now learning more of ‘our story’, but like all things it takes time and there could be more emphasis on ‘our story’ in schools – Australia’s story through progressive learning across the grades in primary school showing the truth of what really happened. Schools are definitely starting to implement ‘our story’, and this is certainly making a difference in understanding and the knowledge of my people’s story moving beyond ‘let’s do some Aboriginal art’ to celebrating and understanding the importance of NAIDOC and our message of ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth.’ makes a tremendous difference. It’s opened eyes across community, government and educators in schools.

Who are your mentors and teachers Shannon?

There have been a few throughout my life. My first mentor was Aunty Alice from Purga Mission and her last name was Stephen. She taught me a lot about the old ways and also about the mission days and what it was like for her on the Aboriginal Reserves.

As a teenager Raymond Walker and his brothers were my guides at a time when I was lost in life and trying to decide what I wanted to do. I ended up living with Uncle Raymond who helped me with my cultural identity, taught me songs and dances of my heritage.

Later in life Uncle Sid taught me in the old ancient songs. Within our culture throughout the ages and even today we spend a lot of time with Aunties and Uncles passing through the generations our knowledge and history. The role of Grandparents, Uncles and Aunties and their teachings to the young is central to our culture. Mentor’s are personal, they are one’s stable point. I’ve had a few, without them life may have been very different.