A Torres Strait Islander Doctor’s Path to Healing By Janine Lucas James Cook University Communications Coordinator
Dr Nathan Passi is an emergency medicine registrar at Townsville University Hospital.
JCU graduate Dr Nathan Passi wants to inspire a new generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors, and be a changemaker in the field of Indigenous health. The Townsville University Hospital emergency medicine registrar is proud of his Torres Strait Islander heritage. For him, the theme of NAIDOC Week in 2021, ‘Heal Country’, holds a special significance. His family are direct descendants of Sam and David Passi, two of the five Murray (Mer) Islanders whose battle for land rights resulted in the landmark Mabo ruling.
“Country represents identity, spirituality and connection,” he says. “Country is very important to my family and people, and my ancestors fought for recognition of Indigenous land rights and identity as plaintiffs in the Mabo case. I would encourage people to read about Indigenous history, to learn about your local area, and to really connect with the country we are so fortunate to live on.”
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