Taking a Closer Look at Aging American Indians and Alaska Natives

I grew up next to the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington state and I remember how native elders were revered throughout the community. At the annual powwow the elders shared their history through song and dance, and all generations sat together, joining in the chanting and drumming.

Those memories rushed back this week, as AARP’s Public Policy Institute released its most recent report, “Lifelong Disparities among Older American Indians and Alaska Natives.” AARP, along with researchers from Western Carolina University and the International Association for Indigenous Aging, took a closer look at aging American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) because the U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by 2050, the number of AI/ANs age 65 and older will more than triple and AI/ANs age 85 and over will increase more than sevenfold.

http://blog.aarp.org/2015/11/24/taking-a-closer-look-at-aging-american-indians-and-alaska-natives/