Shannon Smith Haynes is a year 12 graduating student and a remarkable Indigenous woman from Western Australia. Shannon came to Yiramalay because she belongs to the Bunuba community, and this school stands on Bunuba land. Shannon has been studying at Studio Schools for three years, where she's been learning about her culture, language, and the history of her people, including the challenges faced by previous generations. In our conversation with Shannon, we learned more about her next steps, desires for travel, and the power of embracing new experiences.
What were some experiences or activities at Yiramalay that helped you establish a deeper connection with your Bunuba culture and language?
Learning my language and my skin group from my ancestry. Learning about my bloodlines, and how I connect all through the land. Listening to the stories of the stolen generation, gaining insights from the elders and what they have been through, and learning about pearl diving in this region.
Also, being on Bunuba Land provides me with a sense of security, it is not only my ancestral homeland but also the place where my people thrived before everything happened.
What do you think are some of the most memorable experiences of your three years at Studio Schools?
I would say seeing all the beautiful sights on the Gibb River Road for the first time. We went on a trip before our last principal, Matt Watson and Eliza Barlow left. They took us all through to Brisbane, Fremantle, and all through the Gibb River Road where we saw sights and beautiful waterholes.
Also, the people I made connections with from Melbourne and SAAF.
They've changed my life and my perspective on the world. I've become a more open-minded person through this school, by experiencing all the lovely people around here. The people who come here want to learn and want to improve their lives.
My most memorable experience this year is doing the Gibb Challenge and riding a bike. I didn't know how to ride a bike until I tried during the challenge, and two days later, I rode at least 52 kilometers for the first time. Seeing all the beautiful people and having that experience, was an experience of a lifetime.
What are some other examples of how the Studio Schools models the four circles?
Industry learning, we do TAFE courses to put you forward in life and give you the skill sets you need for the work environment. If you're capable, they'll also let you do other certs. I'm currently doing a cert in tourism.
Also, other skill sets are learned by being able to do work experience, giving tours, risk assessments, and learning how to work in a proper working environment.
For the two-way learning, for industry, we mostly work on teaching kids how to read and write and for the more advanced kids, we do certs. On the other side of social learning, we teach kids how to manage their emotions, use good coping mechanisms, be able to reach for help, manage emotions properly and deal with trauma.
Another way of two-way learning is doing science on-country. Learning about the different flora and fauna, how to gut a fish and see all the inside parts, identify which organs do what, and how the fish breathe. Also, collecting data while fishing and seeing the data of how in the seasons, the fish population decreases or increases. A lot of our kids want to be rangers, so monitoring that is a great learning experience.
What are your hopes and dreams when you graduate?
When I graduate, I hope to do a bridging course and then do nursing for three years. I want to do some work experience with nursing, and if I like it, I'll become a registered nurse, but if not, I can always change my career path and explore my horizons. At the end of the day, life is short, and we need to explore.
I really hope to travel outside of the country one day and finish traveling all around Australia.
Where are the top destinations you’d like to visit?
Oh, tough decision. I would love to go to Tasmania and do one of the longest hikes there and also go to New Zealand. They're both such beautiful places that haven't really been touched by society or capitalism and most of their nature has been very well kept. One thing that I've hoped for is to go to the outskirts of Japan. Not really in the city, but more onto the farm side.
I have never been overseas. I've always stayed in Australia, but I travel a lot in Australia because I'm a nomad.
What would your message be, to other children living in the remote north who are thinking about coming to school at studio schools?
If you want to come here, it is an amazing experience.
You get to go swim on-country, go hunting, and most of all, you get to connect with your dorm mates and become family.
You get to experience the culture and learn dancing, language, and the history of indigenous cultures.
We don't just do Bunaba, we do many others and learn from our elders teaching us. We get the opportunity to learn about native bush foods, and what plants are not native. It also sets you up for the real world, to succeed in life and to find your career.
If you have the courage to come out here and do something different. It's gonna be hard, but it will change your life and your whole paradigm on how you think, see, and live. It's a totally new environment. It is so beautiful and peaceful out here. You are going to be lonely at times and get homesick, but it is worth it.