Urban Indigenous Health, Kinship & Cultural Connectedness with Dr. Meena Richardson

In this powerful conversation, Meena Richardson, an Assistant Scientist at the Center for Indigenous Health at Johns Hopkins University, shares her work supporting urban Indigenous communities through community-based participatory research, cultural connectedness, and Indigenous-led approaches to healing. 

Drawing from her experiences as a citizen of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe and her Indo-Fijian heritage, Meena explores how identity, kinship, and relationships serve as mechanisms for wellness and resilience. She discusses the realities facing urban Indigenous communities, the impact of historical policies such as relocation programs, and the importance of honouring Indigenous ways of knowing in research and practice. 

The conversation highlights Meena's dissertation research on caregiving, belonging, and cultural connectedness in urban Indigenous communities. Listeners will learn how multigenerational relationships, place-based practices, water ceremonies, traditional plant knowledge, and community-centred caregiving support both healing and prevention across generations. 

Throughout the discussion, Meena offers a strengths-based perspective that challenges common misconceptions about urban Indigenous people while emphasizing the power of community, culture, identity, and Indigenous leadership in creating healthier futures.