- Djarragun College Board – Non-Executive Director
Tanika Deemal-Parker is a proud Guugu Yimidhirr Bama, an Aboriginal person specific to Cape York in the Community Hopevale; situated on the South Eastern Cape York Peninsula. In addition to English, Tanika also speaks her local language; Guugu Yimithir.
Tanika is a Registered Trauma Nurse with 7 years’ experience in Rural and Remote Nursing along with extensive experience in Metropolitan health care. has been involved in various levels of Governments, including International engagements and not-for-profit work advocating for the improvement to Indigenous health care across diversity groups. Tanika is in the final stages of completing a Master’s in Public Health, with a focus on Primary Health Care (policy and governance). Tanika is currently the Chief Operations Officer at National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Health Worker Association (NATSIHWA) based in Canberra.
“When our mob engage health care providers in a rural, remote or metropolitan location; our mob must be assured the care they are receiving is appropriate culturally, holistically and clinically. Having Indigenous health care staff in all aspects of our health systems strengthens our relationship with Indigenous peoples and allows us to remove the systemic prejudice faced by Indigenous communities and ultimately closes the GAP-Tanika Deemal-Parker”