Shane Charles

Uncle Shane Charles is a Yorta Yorta man with strong connections to the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung communities. He was born in Shepparton, and his family was the last to move off Daish’s Paddock after the 1939 Cummeragunja Walk Off.

Uncle Shane’s family have connections to Cummeragunja and Mooroopna. They were involved in starting the Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative. Uncle Shane is a proud father and a grandfather, and for many years he has taught about the importance of passing cultural knowledge and stories down to the next generation.

Uncle Shane is passionate about how Aboriginal culture can build connections between people. He has taken his work around Australia and worldwide. He has worked on trust-building programs and cultural exchanges with First Nations leaders.

Uncle Shane has had a long career in education, government and community services. His passion has always been building capacity and opportunities for Aboriginal people, while also making sure that those opportunities are culturally safe. Making sure that good supports are in place is important for success. Uncle Shane believes that creating opportunities to learn through Aboriginal ways brings an important cultural lens to the passing on of knowledge, so he has put his effort into opening up pathways for Aboriginal people to connect to Country, culture and spirit.

One of Uncle Shane’s teachings is about the lore of his Country. He says the layers of Country are talking to us all time. Healing Country is not just about walking on Country, it’s about the ability to heal and regenerate Country. He teaches about ‘a lore of the land and a lore for the people’, which is about taking care of yourself and others and is expressed through a set of principles;

• respect – respecting your own spirit, your family and Country
• acceptance – including the ability to accept yourself for who you are and others for who they are
• relationships – including the one you have with your own spirit, which affects your relationships with others
• responsibility – for our own voices and our own actions, for how we care for our friends and family, and how we care for Country.

Uncle Shane is dedicated to sharing culture and mentoring young Aboriginal people. He is a yidaki player and artist, and uses these skills to help young people connect with their identity and heal. When working with Aboriginal men in prison, he ran arts and sport workshops to help men reconnect with their history and culture, giving them a foundation for healing and belonging.

One of Uncle Shane’s lessons as a mentor is about creating the opportunity for choice. When you are grounded in who you are and have cultural strength, you can walk forward through life with purpose. Uncle Shane says it is important to ‘walk forward, don't float forward’, and stand tall in who you are.

Across Victoria and nationally, Uncle Shane has worked in education and training, justice and cultural heritage sectors. He has also held roles in academic and community organisations. Uncle Shane is the Co-Chair of Reconciliation Victoria, the Co-chair of the Aboriginal Studies and Indigenous Strategies Committee at La Trobe University, and an Advisory Group Member at the Indigenous Knowledges Institute at The University of Melbourne. Uncle Shane has also been an elected Member of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria for the Metro Region.

Uncle Shane has followed in the footprints of his ancestors in his work. His Yorta Yorta Uncle Sir Doug Nicholls fought against the closure of the Lake Tyers community. Half a century later, Uncle Shane worked to support community control of the Lake Tyers Trust. Uncle Shane made Armagh, the Initiatives of Change Australia-Pacific Centre, his home for several years, and learned that his Aunty Marge Tucker had spent time at Armagh during the 1950s. During his time at Armagh he held a cultural residency, leading cultural intelligence programs and facilitating healing circles. Uncle Shane also shared his stories about the impact of the Stolen Generations on his community, always teaching about the importance of Aboriginal wisdom and building relationships for change.

Uncle Shane spent 17 years working as an educator in youth and pathways programs in Shepparton. He became Cultural Program Manager and Caretaker at Camp Jungai Cooperative, a cultural education facility for community to learn on Country. Uncle Shane then worked in capacity building programs for Centrelink before moving back into education. He managed TAFE and university programs in business governance. Uncle Shane has chaired many organisations, including education advisory and community health groups. He has also started First Nations governance initiatives with the City of Melbourne and Brimbank City Council, where he is now First Nations Lead.

Uncle Shane believes strongly in the role of local organisations in supporting communities. He is a long-time advocate for treaty, reconciliation and multiculturalism. He speaks about building a bridge of understanding based on respecting diversity within ourselves, our families and communities.

Uncle Shane says that reconciliation isn’t about ticking a box, but about building our relationships and capacity to understand each other. Reconciliation grows our ability to be creative and imaginative. It is about finding ways to work together.

Uncle Shane’s wisdom continues to help many people walk the path of reconciliation and Treaty.