My name is Jamiliah Bin Swani, a Bard descendant from Lombadina Community located in the Kimberley region, Western Australia. I am also a Samsep descendant with ties to Erub Island in the Torres Strait Islands. After 4 years of working as an Aboriginal Health Worker in primary healthcare clinics across the Kimberley, I was inspired to further my education as a Registered Nurse so that I could improve the health care system for Indigenous people. I am currently studying a Bachelor of Nursing at Notre Dame, Fremantle and am passionate about health and advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

As a current Allied Health Assistant at Children’s Health Queensland this opportunity has not only cemented my pursuit to become a qualified Physiotherapist but spiked an interest specifically in Paediatrics. As such, when I graduate, I aspire to be employed as a full-time Physiotherapist, potentially specialising in Paediatrics, where I will play a vital role in society by enhancing mobility, function, and overall wellbeing of our future generations. If I were to continue my employment with Children’s Health Queensland as a qualified Physiotherapist, I would love to work within outreach teams that travel to remote and regional Australia to provide healthcare to children that have limited access to professional healthcare services.

Ultimately, however, I want to become a culturally safe physiotherapist that engages with community and improves Indigenous health in Australia. I want to progress into higher leadership roles where I can advocate for inclusive practices that share and celebrate the oldest living culture in the world.

In reaching this goal, I will continue to learn and educate myself not only in the field of Physiotherapy but also Indigenous culture and the ongoing impact on colonisation. I will Endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of how to work with Indigenous communities through authentic and meaningful engagement and become a culturally safe physiotherapist that not only provides aid in rehabilitating injuries, managing chronic conditions, and fostering development, but ensures culturally safe healthcare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.