A key component of sound mental health that may help protect against depression and anxiety is resilience, and key to building it is knowing that you’re connected to a greater purpose—to a story larger than your own. For Native and Indigenous peoples, the stories of origin, history, and identity are central in building resilience and experiencing optimal health. In this episode, we meet Indigenous nurse researcher John Lowe RN, PhD, FAAN, and discover how he is addressing the long-standing structural impediments that have kept American Indian, Alaska Native and Indigenous youth from connecting to their cultural heritage and identities, and to a history that he describes as a source of great strength. John established the first Center for Indigenous Nurse Research For Health Equity where he is innovating on ancestral wisdom and tradition—through practices like the Virtual Talking Circle—to enable Indigenous youth to move away from harmful behaviors and move toward lives and coping mechanisms that are both positive and strength-based.

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