Syd Bruce Shortjoe
Syd Bruce Shortjoe was born in the Aurukun mission 1964. His tribe is Wik Mynah tribe and his traditional country is North East and inland of Pormpuraaw. Syd Bruce’s traditional saltwater totem is the bull shark and his freshwater totem is blue tongue lizard. His people are freshwater people. The people from this part of Cape York often speak 4 to 6 Indigenous languages. Syd Bruce speaks 9 languages plus English.
He grew up in Pormpuraaw and learned the Thaayorre language of the traditional owners. As a teenager he lived among the Kugu, his great grandmother’s people, and learned those languages. He shares his knowledge with his nephews, family and community. He is a cultural scholar and a national treasure.
Art is a new language for Syd Bruce, and he sees it as a way to share and express himself with a wider audience.
His stories and work have been featured in two NITV shows, and his art is on permanent display at Canopy Art Centre in Cairns QLD, Tali Gallery, NSW, and Alcaston Galley, VIC. The Australia Museum in NSW has purchased his ghost net sculpture titled ‘Mundha’ (Shovel Nose Ray), and this work along with three others are being exhibited at the museum. Syd Bruce was the main consultant and storyteller for a documentary produced by the Museum which is based on crocodile sorcery.