Bachelor of Arts in Communications, 1988
Indigenous Australian Alumni Award
Uncle Ken Canning – also known as Burraga Gutya – is from the Kunja Clan of the Bidjara Peoples of South West Queensland. A celebrated poet, lifelong activist and respected elder, he was the first Aboriginal person to graduate from UTS.
Growing up, Uncle Ken never imagined he’d become a writer. He was placed in a boys’ home when he was 10 and never received an education. At age 16, he was incarcerated in Brisbane’s Boggo Road Jail where he learned to read and write from a fellow inmate. He began writing craft as a mental escape from the rigors of prison life.
Uncle Ken’s activism began in prison. He would help smuggle messages out to raise awareness of fellow inmates who were wrongfully incarcerated and campaigned to get Aboriginal prisoners access to prison education programs. Over the years, he’s been a tireless advocate for Indigenous rights and a dedicated campaigner for prison reform, mentoring Aboriginal men in prison. He also mentored those just released in his role as a support officer at Rainbow Lodge in Glebe.
His activism has spread far beyond prison reform - he’s also been a strong voice in environmental activism and co-organised the Invasion Day rallies to protest Australia Day.
In 1985, Uncle Ken enrolled at UTS and studied for a degree in Communication while on parole and working as a cleaner part time. While still studying, he teamed up with the late Frances Peters-Little – the first Aboriginal woman to graduate from UTS – to campaign for an Aboriginal education centre. The centre, now known as the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, was given the go-ahead in 1987 and continues to provide culturally affirming support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at UTS today.
Through his plays and poems, Uncle Ken continues to advocate and raise awareness for Aboriginal rights. His poetry includes Ngali Ngalga, published in 1991 and Yimbama, published in 2015. He urges Aboriginal students to rise above racism and remember that creating change doesn’t rely on conscious activism.
You’ve got to operate from a position of love. Love for justice, love for people and love for Country you’re on. If you come from a position of hate, you’re no better than the people you’re fighting against.